


A Rose Blooming

by Fientje108



Series: A Gay Fanfiction [1]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:48:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 62,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26050642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fientje108/pseuds/Fientje108
Summary: The fall of the barrier meant a lot of change for a lot of people. This includes Gil, who discovers all kinds of new colours and flavours he could never even imagine. Jay thought he knew Auradon by now, but suddenly everything is different when Gil is around.
Relationships: Gil/Jay (Disney: Descendants), Hinting of Harry/Jay/Gil, Hinting of Harry/Uma
Series: A Gay Fanfiction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114841
Comments: 53
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

Jay found himself in a critical situation. The more he attacked, the more his opponent dodged and worn him out. She still seemed light on her feet, while he was starting to feel tired. Lonnie was a fighter unlike any other Jay had the pleasure to train with. He was used to that the other took a firm stand and fought back. This made most opponents predictable, but not Lonnie. She was calm and patient, waiting for Jay to strike first. Swift as a coursing river and mysterious as the dark side of the moon. Jay thought he saw an opening, but he was wrong. Lonnie suddenly stroke from the right and Jay could barely block it with his sword. He noticed how he needed to catch his breath, but he also still felt a strong urge to win. He wasn't planning to lose to the team captain, even though it was an honourable one. Jay stroke again, but Lonnie quickly moved away. He stroke again, but Lonnie easily blocked the sword with her own. Did she never grow tired?

"Yes, get him! Get him! Come on Jay, strike her!" Jay had to laugh, hearing Gil cheering for both of them. Others were cheering for the two fighters. Most girls on the balcony were cheering for Lonnie, while the men close to the ring were mostly cheering for Jay. Gil probably didn't even know who was who, because both he and Lonnie wore the safety masks which covered their entire faces. He didn't care who was winning, he was just enjoying watching a good match.

"Carlos, cheer with me," Gil said, while he roughly patted Carlos on his shoulder. Carlos laughed at him. He was cheering, just not as loud as Gil. He loved the sport, but not as much as Jay did. He mostly liked watching, while his own mask was resting on the ground between his legs.

"Yes, bring him down!" Carlos cheered with Gil.

Their swords slammed together again, their bodies close to each other. Jay could almost see Lonnie's face through the mask. He took a step closer, tried to push her away and end the battle quickly, but it was a mistake. Lonnie quickly moved to her right, which resulted that she suddenly stood at Jay's open left flank. She could hit him very easily and Jay knew it. Her sword already flew towards his side. Jay turned just in time, moving his sword to his left hand. The sword got blocked, but it was the last strike. Both Jay and Lonnie were panting and let their swords hang. They removed their masks and smiled at each other. The match was over and a round of applause was heard in the room.

"Good match," Jay said, still out of breath.

"Your defences are getting better," Lonnie replied. "You're getting lighter on your feet."

Jay shrugged, while he threw his masks and sword to the side. "I kind of learned that from you and Carlos."

"Yes, good match!" Gil yelled, while he jumped on Jay's shoulder. Jay stumbled due to the sudden weight on his back, but he managed to stay on his feet. Lonnie laughed softly when she watched how Gil landed back on his feet and put an arm around Jay's shoulder. "I'm sure you will defeat her one day." Gil looked back at Lonnie and smiled at her. They had known each other for a short week, but he already had huge respect for her. She already showed she was unlike any other girl in Auradon. He understood why Jay was such good friends with her.

"I almost won this time," Jay declared. "That last move she made was just unfair."

"You opposed your left, that's not my fault," Lonnie answered. "I just used an opportunity."

Jay sighed, knowing she was right. He didn't feel bad, though. He actually felt happy, maybe even proud, with Gil standing beside him, softly squeezing in his shoulder. For a second it made him remember when he stood besides Carlos just like that. Proudly holding the smaller boy, knowing how much he was worth. Jay quickly looked over to Gil and wondered if Gil felt the same way at the moment. Gil seemed only to be interesting in Lonnie as they smiled at each other.

"I think Jay should still work on his defences," Carlos interrupted as he stood at the group. "You still use too much force. When are you going to realize that works on me, but it is never going to work on Lonnie."

In one quick move Jay stepped away from Gil and duck on Carlos. The black-white haired boy saw it coming and ran away. He was quicker than him, that was something Jay learned pretty fast. He may be bigger and stronger, but Carlos was much quicker. Besides that Jay was tired at the moment and didn't feel like chasing Carlos, even though he was looking at him with a mischief grin on his face. "I need a drink."

"Yea, me too," Lonnie sighed, as she took all her things in her hands, ready to leave.

Most of the people were starting to leave the room. Jay picked up his sword and mask of the ground, but couldn't help to secretly glance at Gil, who was still talking to Lonnie. He was happy to see how quickly Gil adapted in Auradon. Harry for example had much more trouble behaving himself and Uma had a hard time fitting in, still being seen as an abomination and an octopus. Most of the new VK's hid themselves and stayed in the shadows, reluctant of what might come. Scared they would be send back to the Isle of the Lost if they did anything wrong. Gil wasn't like that. He didn't do any mischief and he didn't hide. He seemed like he wanted to discover everything, as quickly as possible. As if he was on a holiday and knew he had to leave within a few days, but still had to execute all the plans he had planned for the holiday.

"What are you looking at?" Carlos suddenly stood at Jay's side again. Jay jumped up and tried to shove the other boy away. "You completely spaced out, did Lonnie tire you out that much?"

Jay looked at Carlos in disbelieve. "I didn't space out. I was thinking." A disbelieving look appeared on Carlos's face. "Thinking about the match and how I can defeat her next time," Jay quickly added. Carlos laughed at his friend and shook his head. At least he seemed to believe it.

"Sometimes you worry me," Carlos stated while they left the room. "You got to think about little else then fighting matches and playing Tourney."

Jay playfully shoved Carlos again and the little boy stumbled away from him with a smile on his face. Jay looked ahead of him again and saw Gil talking to Lonnie about the passing match. He sighed silently. If Carlos only knew.


	2. Chapter 2

Summer was getting close and it was getting hot in Auradon. School was finally over and a lot of the kids were lying around in the park. So was Jay, together with Carlos, Dude, Jane, Mal, Evie and Doug. Evie and Doug were actually discussing homework, while Jane tried to listen in. Carlos tried as well, but he was distracted by Dude, who was lying on his lap. He was softly petting the dog, while Dude peacefully slept. He didn't show it from the outside, but Carlos was still worried. His mother hadn't showed up in Auradon yet. Like a lot of the first generation of villains, Carlos's mom had not cross the bridge yet. Fear crumpled up in him, not knowing what his mother would do to Dude. He was ready to protect his friend with all cost, knowing that his friend and probably all of Auradon would also stand up to his mother if she planned to skin a horde of dogs again. Carlos sighed. He couldn't bear the thought of Dude getting killed by his own mother. Dude's loyalty and confident words always helped Carlos. Dude never saw him as the son of Cruella de Vil. From the very beginning he just saw him as a best friend. Besides Dude there were also Mal, Jay and Evie who were always at his side.

At the moment Jay was sitting beside him against the same tree. Eyes closed and enjoying the warmth of the sun. Mal was lying stretched out on the grass in front of his feet, listening to Evie and Doug discussing chemistry.

"I'm bored," Mal suddenly busted out. Jay tiredly opened one eye, to quickly close it again.

"Maybe you should also start making your homework," Evie playfully mocked Mal. "Even queens need to graduate, you know."

Mal looked as if she was seriously thinking about the comment, but then shook her head. "Nah, I don't think so." Carlos softly laughed and send a glance towards Jane. He held her hand, while he was petting Dude with his other hand. Life was good here.

"Jay, you got to see this!" This time Jay quickly opened both his eyes the moment he could hear Gil's voice. Mal raised in panic for a while, but then saw Gil coming their way with a huge smile on his face. She let her head fall on the ground and felt bored again. Still no villain attack yet. Gil might have been a pirate and probably still was, but from the very first day the barrier had fallen it was obvious at least Gil wouldn't be any threat to Auradon. The same couldn't be said about a bunch of other VK's. The others still looked in surprise when they saw Gil running towards them with a bunch of red roses in his hands.

"Jay, look what I found." Gil had finally reached the group and knelt beside Jay in the grass. Gil gently pushed the flowers towards Jay. "I already knew these flowers were beautiful, but they also smell amazing. Watch out for the thorns, though." Jay smiled as he smelled the roses, even though he had smelled them before. Jay nodded in agreement, the flowers indeed smelled nice.

Gil gave one flower to Jay and then moved on to Carlos. "Here, smell them. Let Dude smell them too!"

"I already do," the dog commented from Carlos's lap. "My nose is much better than yours." Gil didn't seem to mind Dude's comment and even gently petted his head. Dude sighed in agreement. Then Gil moved on to give a rose to Jane and then Mal.

"You know it's a declaration of love to give someone a rose," Mal said, even though she still accepted the rose and even smelled it.

Gil looked up in surprise. "It is?"

"Where did you get them, actually?" Doug interrupted their conversation.

"I just took them from the gardens over there. There are a bunch of them. You can just take them."

"You just cut of all those roses from a bush?" Doug repeated. Gil nodded happily, while he handed two roses over to Doug and Evie. "Please don't tell me you took them from the school garden." Doug said, while hesitantly taking the rose. Carlos already send a painful glance towards Jay, knowing where this was heading.

"I don't know, it was just a garden," Gil answered, with still a bunch of roses in his hand. Mal tried to hide her laugh behind the flower, while the others of the group stayed painfully silent. The excitement disappeared on Gil's face, when he looked at the members of the group in turn. He then faced Doug again, who was still unsure what to do with the flower. "Did I do something wrong?"

Doug didn't know how to reply, knowing the other guy probably didn't mean any harm, but then quickly came to an decision. "I'll come with you and check," Doug answered and stood up. "One of my uncles is actually a teacher in Auradon Prep. He also takes care of the garden, so maybe I can help you. It's probably not as bad as I think it is."

Gil seemed a bit more at east. He and Doug already walked away from the group, when Jay made a decision as well. "Let me come along too," he said. "In case you need some extra help." Gil nodded gratefully. He knew he couldn't fight his way out of difficult situations anymore, so Jay wouldn't be much of a help if he got in trouble, but he still felt much better knowing Jay would be at his side.

Doug kept reassuring that it probably wasn't as bad as they thought, until he stood in the garden in front of the abused plant. "What did you do?" he asked slowly and panic could already be heard in his voice.

Even Jay, who honestly didn't care about flowers before, shook his head. It was a beautiful blooming bush, standing in the middle of the garden, for everybody to be seen. Just an hour ago, the incredible plant reached towards the sky with beautiful flowers popping out from all sides. At the moment it was half torn out of the ground. A lot of the stems were cracked and the flowers hang sadly towards the ground. A lot of other stems were brutally cut off. All with all was the first so beautiful plant transformed into a dying disaster. Gil started to realize this when he was looking at the plant. He was still holding a few of the beautiful red roses tightly against his chest. Maybe if it was too late for the plant, at least he still had these beautiful flowers.

"Shouldn't we just run away now," Gil suggested to the other two. If he couldn't fight, it was best to just run. He immediately got a disapproving look from Doug.

Jay smiled pitiful. He understood it would be hard for Gil to just face the consequences. He remembered how hard it was to suddenly be called down upon for stealing, especially that one time when Fairy Godmother caught him first hand. He had to return the stolen goods to the rightful owners and even had to apologize. On top of that he got detention as well. Fortunately for him the coach was more forgiving. He wouldn't suspend him from the team and understood that old habits die hard. At the end it turned out alright and Jay believed that Fairy Godmother wouldn't be too hard on Gil either. But Jay could see on Gil's face that he was worried.

"Don't worry," Jay said, while he put his hand on Gil's shoulder. "Doug said one of his uncles take care of the garden. I'm sure he can arrange something for you." Jay looked over at Doug and hoped for some support.

Doug still stared at the broken down plant and then looked worried at Jay. "Did I already mention that the uncle I was talking about is uncle Grumpy?"


	3. Chapter 3

Doug decided it was best to go to Fairy Godmother immediately. After the barrier had fallen Fairy Godmother quickly decided she would resolve all the mischief and destruction the new Villain Kids made. She knew most of them would attempt school in Auradon Prep when summer holiday ended and the classes of Remedial Goodness would be filled with new faces. Fairy Godmother felt it would be best to start immediately with the redemption by solving the problems the kids made and teaching them stealing and destroying things weren't allowed in Auradon. Besides that it was a perfect way to get to know the kids who would probably be causing the most trouble in the future.

Gil agreed with Doug to see Fairy Godmother, even though he still preferred to deny he ever touched the bush. Gil stood nervously in the headmistress's office, waiting for her judgement. She left her office for a moment to see the rose bush for herself. She did however immediately take all the roses from Gil, knowing it would be best he didn't hold on to them. Gil watched the office door closely, knowing the headmistress could be back any second. He felt a little better knowing both Doug and Jay were standing behind him and would have his back if things would go bad. Gil actually wondered if Fairy Godmother would curse him with her magic wand. Or even worse, they could send him back to Isle. How was he to survive there without Uma and Harry? Jay actually told him that he should not be worried, it would all be alright.

"Okay," Fairy Godmother said when she walked into the office and faced Gil. "I've seen the bush. And it's pretty bad."

"Did I kill it?" Gil asked nervously.

Fairy Godmother gave him a pitiful look and let out a sigh. "Don't be too worried, you're not the first kid who accidentally destroyed something. Or on purpose, that happens a lot too at the times." Fairy Godmother managed to say the last part with a smile on her face. "But I shouldn't worry about the plant too much. The flowers grow back and the bush will restore itself."

Fairy Godmother could see the sudden relief on the boy's face. Any doubt that this kid destroyed the plant on purpose faded away.

"Who destroyed the rose bush?" They could hear a grumpy voice coming from the hallway. Doug send an apologizing look towards Jay.

"There are my Uncles," he grinned between his teeth. Two little men walked into the room. The first one had a dark glace over his face, while he stumped in the room. The second one blushed and waved over to Doug. Doug waved back at his Uncle Bashful.

"Did you destroyed the rose bush?" The angry dwarf asked and pointed a finger towards Doug.

"No uncle Grumpy, it wasn't me," Doug declared.

"Wow, they're really tiny."

The angry, little, old dwarf suddenly had his eyes fixed on Gil, but the young pirate didn't even flinch. Jay suddenly had to hold back his laughter, as he watched how an angry dwarf tried to intimidate a smiling Gil.

"He destroyed the rose bush and he's insulting us," Grumpy said towards Fairy Godmother and pointed his finger at Gil. "All those evil children suddenly running around in Auradon and breaking things. They should all be send back to the Isle!"

Fairy Godmother tried to stop Grumpy's rant. Doug looked embarrassed, knowing that if uncle Grumpy was mad there was nothing to stop him.

"Alright, alright," Fairy Godmother finally interrupted. "Let's first hear why he destroyed the plant before jumping to any conclusion. Gil, what did you do to the bush?"

Gil looked surprised and actually turned silent. He turned his head to face Jay, searching for support. Jay understood his confusion, he was probably never asked to tell his side of the story before. Jay encouraged him with a little nod.

"Well," Gil started while facing Fairy Godmother and the dwarfs again. "I just thought they were really pretty. I wanted to show them to my friends."

"Oh, he thought our roses were pretty," Bashful repeated and a red blush covered his face.

Grumpy wasn't so quickly convinced. "Why rip an entire plant when it's pretty? I'm telling you, this kid is up to no good."

"I didn't mean to," Gil defended himself. "At first I just wanted to pick a flower, but they were really tight. Before I knew it I had thorns in my hand and the bush came loose. So that's when I started to cut of the flowers." Gil suddenly put out his knife and showed it to Fairy Godmother. Jay and Doug face palmed at the same time. Gil was not making it better for himself.

Fairy Godmother stared hesitantly at the weapon in Gil's hand. "You know you're not allowed to bring weapons like knife and swords on the school campus, right?"

Gil slowly tried to hide the sharp knife in his hands. "Yea sorry, I forgot," Gil softly said.

Jay decided to step in. He pushed Gil aside, so he would stand in between Gil and the angry dwarf."Gil really needs to learn all the new rules, Fairy Godmother," Jay started. "Could you please overlook it this time? He really didn't mean any harm to the roses."

"Yes, I love roses," Gil added. "I actually really want to learn more about them."

Fairy Godmother looked at him in surprise. "You want to learn more about flowers?"

"Yea," Gil immediately answered.

"Absolutely not!" Grumpy came in between again. "He already destroyed one of my bushes. I suggest he gets banished from the garden. Maybe even banished out of Auradon."

"We are not going to send him back to the Isle," Fairy Godmother answered calm to Grumpy. Jay could see how Gil let out a relieved sigh. "But there are going to be consequences. I would suggest you should repair your own damage and restore the broken plant in the garden. That way you could also learn about the plant, like you want to."

Gil already got a huge smile on his face, but then it got broken down again by Grumpy. "I just said that he's no longer allowed in our gardens. Maybe someone else is mad enough to take this rampage, but not me."

"We could give him a change," Bashful said carefully.

"No, send him back to the Isle!"

"For the last time, we are not going to send him back," Fairy Godmother said sternly. "But I heard you, Gil will also not be send to the gardens. Thank you, Grumpy. Thank you Bashful. I will take it from here."

Grumpy wanted to rant even more, but Doug quickly took him by the shoulder. His uncle had said his part and it was enough. With the help of uncle Bashful he succeeded to remove Grumpy rather quietly from the situation. Bashful waved at the others who were left in the room. Uncle Grumpy didn't wave, but mumbled something about his nephew should try to grow a beard instead of growing his hair.

Gil faced Fairy Godmother again.

"You look regretful," Fairy Godmother continued. "So I will overlook the accident this time. Thereby detention class is already full, so I can't send you there even if I wanted to."

"Harry said he needed to go to detention again," Gil interrupted Fairy Godmother. "What is detention anyway? Harry said it was actually a lot of fun, even though he also said it shouldn't be allowed during summer holiday." Fairy Godmother looked in surprise again. Detention wasn't meant to be fun, that should be obvious.

"He needs to learn a lot," Jay stated again.

Fairy Godmother shook her head. "Very well. Like I said, I will let it slight this time. You boys can go now." Gil sighed relieved and mumbled a thank you.

"One more thing," Fairy Godmother quickly said before they walked away. "Put the knife away, please. And don't bring it out in public again."

Gil quickly noticed he still held his knife in his hand and put it where nobody would notice it. He then quickly left the room, even though he first had to check if the angry dwarf really had left.

Jay felt relieved as well when they walked out of the building. It went even better than he'd hoped. Gil still looked grim as he quietly walked besides Jay.

"What's wrong? You got away with it," Jay asked him.

Gil shrugged one time. "I still feel bad for the bush. It sucks I didn't get to fix it, like the blue lady suggested. And I lost all my roses too." Gil was quiet for a while and he stared at the ground. Jay didn't really know how to response. He wished he could make Gil feel a little better, but he was never really good at making people feel better.

"Anyway, thanks for your help," Gil continued. "I think I should go back to Uma and Harry now. It's a shame they didn't even get the chance to see the roses. I will see you later."

Jay nodded in a response and mumbled a "See you later" as Gil walked away. Jay had hoped the other guy would've stayed a little longer, as he followed him with his eyes until he disappeared in the distance. Gil didn't even turn around anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

More and more villains crossed the bridge and took a look around in Auradon. Many of them decided to travel further, realizing it wouldn't be smart to all stick around on this little part of the world. Many of them also returned back to the Isle of the Lost, having no other home than the past prison. Evie was excited when she learned her mother was spotted at the guards post who were positioned at the bridge. She had been visiting her mother for the past few days, but her mom was finally able to cross the bridge herself and visit Evie's cottage. Evie was excited, but also nervous, knowing she had to introduce Doug to her. She had to convince her mom that one did not need a prince on a white horse to be happy. A lovely dwarven son could do the trick if it was true love.

Evie could see her mother looked different from the last time she visited her a few days ago. Evie had told her mom about the little fashion shop she set up, but hadn't told her anything about Doug yet, scared for her disapproval. She wouldn't hide him anymore, though. She walked confidently towards her mother, hand in hand with her boyfriend. Her mother didn't even seem to notice at first. She walked towards her daughter with stretched arms.

"Evie, you look beautiful," she said from afar.

Evie noticed she smiled when she finally saw her mom again and she fastened her pace. She finally reached her mom. The Evil Queen put both her hands on Evie's cheeks and took a closer look.

"You're still very beautiful," she confirmed again. "Just like your mother, fairest of them all."

Evie smiled at her mother's compliments. During her long year in Auradon she had learned that there was more than just being beautiful, but somehow she still enjoyed getting those heartwarming compliments.

"Mom, I missed you," Evie said truthfully.

"I missed you too, my darling," her mother replied and Evie knew she meant it too.

"I want to introduce you to someone," Evie said and she grabbed Doug's hand again. "This is Doug, Dopey's son. He's my boyfriend." The Evil Queen looked in disgust for a moment, while she scanned the boy with her eyes. He wasn't particularly handsome.

"Dopey," The Evil Queen said hesitating. "Isn't that one of those dwarfs?" She seemed to spit out the words. Fear rose in Evie. She knew what the dwarfs had done to her mother. She wasn't planning to step back, though.

"He is," Evie responded. "But Doug is not much like his father. Or his uncles in that matter."

The Evil Queen still looked shocked. Disapproval was written on her face. "Evie," her mother started slowly. "With your looks you can get any prince you like. You could live in a castle and be the most beautiful queen in Auradon."

Evie already shook her head. "I fell in love with Doug and I need to ask you to give him a chance. You will see that he's worth much more than a prince. And I want you to see my cottage and all the dresses I designed. You will see that it is worth so much more than a castle on the hill."

The face of the Evil Queen softened when she looked at her daughter again. She had never seen Evie so passionate or happy before. A smile appeared on her face and she nodded.

"Alright," she said. "Show me your little cottage." Evie smiled in relieve. She didn't think her mother would accept everything right away, but she believed that her mother could change.

Jay and Mal watched how Evie wrapped her arms around her mother and put her into an embrace. Then she, the Evil Queen and Doug walked away towards Evie's cottage.

"That went well," Mal said in relieve. She and Jay had decided they would stay close in case the reunion would go wrong.

Jay nodded in agreement. He was glad for Evie that her mother took the step and crossed the bridge, trying to adapt the lifestyle in Auradon. Jay was still waiting for his dad. Carlos was still terrified. He actually hoped that his mom would stay on the Isle and never cross the bridge. It actually surprised him that she hadn't showed up already. Jay wasn't surprised he had to wait for his dad for so long. His dad always had an issue with trusting royalties. Last time Jay visited the Isle his dad was pouting whole the time, wondering if it was a trap or if the kingdom was just weak. Jay said to him that he should come, so Jay could prove to him neither of them were true, but his dad shook his head resolute.

Jay had dropped Mal back at the castle and walked back to the cottage alone. He was still thinking about his dad and how he could convince him. His mind was far away, there for he noticed the two guys walking towards him a little too late. Jay had to gasp for air when he saw his handsome face again. It wasn't unlikely to see Gil and Harry at this time at this place. At the moment Uma and her crew lived on their pirate ship The Lost Revenge, who they anchored in Belle's Harbor, close to Auradon and close to the bridge that led to the Isle of the Lost. Gil and Harry were probably just walking back to the ship, but then the blond haired boy noticed Jay.

"Jay, look what I've found!" A smile immediately appeared on Jay's face, glad to know that Gil wanted to share whatever he had found with him. Gil fastened his pace, so he could show Jay his new findings. Gil held up a bowl filled with little red fruits with a leafy top at one end.

"These are called strawberries, right?" Gil asked and Jay confirmed it. For a second Jay questioned to himself where they got these, but he decided not to ask. "I remember seeing these on the television," Gil continued. "Mal loves these, right? I can't wait to try them myself."

"Than just eat them already," Harry said frustrated while finally catching up. He was getting tired of hearing how Gil wanted to try the fruit. Even though he also adored it how Gil wanted to wait until they got back to Uma to show her the fruit first.

Gil still seemed to hesitate, but Jay's confident smile and Harry's approval won him over. With excitement and overall curiosity he grabbed one of the strawberries and brought it towards his mouth.

"You should not eat the…" Before Jay could finish his sentence Gil had already put the entire strawberry, green calyx and all, in his mouth. "…green part." Gil didn't even seem to mind, since his eyes lit up by the taste of the fruit. Harry on the other hand slowly raised his eyebrows. Gil went for his second strawberry, but this time Jay grabbed his hand and stopped him from eating it.

"You should not eat the leafy top. You only eat the red part," Jay explained again, this time having Gil's attention.

Gil slowly closed his mouth and looked down at the strawberry in his hand. "Oh," he replied slowly.

He seemed confused, so Jay decided to hold on to his hand a little longer, before he ate the leaves again. But then Gil slowly nodded and Jay decided it was save to release the other guy's hand. Gil carefully bit the red part of the strawberry. His eyes lit up again, the taste got indeed even better. Gil looked back up at Jay with a bright grateful smile on his face. Jay couldn't help but smile back. Harry was raising his eyebrows even more as he watched the two guys smiling at each other. He sensed the same weird energy as when Gil and Jay were doing the icebreaking thing at the berry bush. Once again he just had to do something about this.

"Well, I actually think it's time for us to move on. Uma is definitely waiting for our return," Harry said in a longing voice. He was moving closer to Gil. A little bit too close, Jay thought.

"Do you actually have a Tourney practice this weekend?" Gil asked Jay, while he took another strawberry.

Harry sighed annoyed, realizing he got ignored again, just like that time they were at the berry bush. At least the longing staring had stopped.

"I'm afraid not," Jay replied, taking Gil's example in ignoring Harry.

"Shame," Gil said, but then he turned to Harry. "You should see Jay at the Tourney field. He's amazing."

Jay noticed how he had to blush as he tried to hide the grin on his face. He hoped the other two guys wouldn't notice how he shyly looked away. He didn't understand, though. So many others, particularly girls, told him many times before that he was amazing on the field. It never really mattered to him, as long as his coach was proud of him. Somehow it suddenly did matter when this guy said it.

Gil smiled brightly at Jay again, which caused Harry to annoyingly sigh once more. He was done with the flirting that was happening between those two guys. He hit Gil against his arm, which caused Gil to almost drop his bowl with strawberries. If hinting didn't work, than he would use a little force.

"Let's go, Uma is waiting for us," Harry said and already walked past Jay.

"One more thing," Gil continued to talk to Jay. Harry stopped and turned around again. This was getting seriously obnoxious. "If you don't have a match, how about we're going to explore tomorrow? You've got time?"

Jay tried to hide the smile that suddenly appeared on his face. He and Gil said they would go exploring together, he never actually thought they really would. They hadn't talk about it anymore after the night that the barrier was broken down, and Jay actually thought Gil had forgotten about the whole thing. But suddenly he asked with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Sure," Jay answered. Jay had to gasp for air again, when he saw Gil's face lit up once more.

"Really? That's so great! I'm really curious about…" Gil seemed to think for a second. "Everything! Everything looks so pretty. I'll see you tomorrow. We've got to go back to Uma."

"You go, I'll catch up," Harry said to Gil. Gil looked up in surprise, but then shrugged and walked ahead. He had learned it was better to not ask too many questions when he got a direct command. He still turned around to smile at Jay.

Jay didn't even notice he was still staring at the other guy while he was walking away. Harry, on the other hand, noticed it clearly. He stood in front of Jay, blocking his view.

"What are you exactly planning with him?" Harry said, finally getting Jay's attention.

"I'm sorry?"

"How long have you guys been dating?"

"It's not a date!" Jay defended himself. "He just wants to see the surroundings and I'm happy to take him."

"Oh Jay, you shouldn't lie to me," Harry said with a mischievous grin on his face.

"It's not a date!" Jay clarified again. Hook was already pissing him off again. "We're just friends."

Harry raised his hands in a defensive way. "Whatever you say, Jay. Whatever you say."

Jay knew from the look on Harry's face that the pirate didn't believe him. He wondered if Gil had said something weird to make Hook suspicious. Or was it really his own stupidity who made him believe those nonsense? Harry looked at him with a threatening look on his face. He then turned around and followed Gil, leaving Jay behind in uncertainty.


	5. Chapter 5

Uma noticed something strange about Gil. He woke up earlier than usually and he barely ate anything during breakfast. Excitement was written all over his face and he would just not shut up. Harry could take a good guess why Gil behaved this way, but he decided to stay silent for the time being. It also didn't surprise Harry when Gil jumped up and declared that he had to go at midday. Harry wondered if it was really the excitement of exploring or if it was something else that made Gil smile like that. In the meanwhile Gil didn't even realize the suspicious looks he got from Harry and Uma. He just ran outside, so he could meet Jay as quickly as possible.

Jay was already waiting outside, noticing he was nervous. He knew what he wanted to show Gil and he was actually sure that Gil would be impressed, considering that Gil was impressed by a berry bush. He was just scared that Gil really hoped for jungles and icebergs, liked they agreed on. Those things were actually far away and even though Jay wanted to, he couldn't just take Gil to a random jungle. He sighed, hoping that his surprise would be good enough for Gil. Jay then saw the other guy walking towards him and wondered if it was too late to call the whole thing off. Jay shook this idea off, knowing this would definitely disappoint Gil.

"Hi Jay," Gil immediately greeted him. "Where are we going? Icebergs? Panthers? Oh, I know! Volcano's!"

Somehow Gil's enthusiasm made Jay more at ease. Jay couldn't help but smile back, when he saw Gil's sparkling eyes. He was definitely not calling this off.

"Nothing that fancy, I'm afraid," Jay answered. "I thought I would show you around first. You know, close to Auradon." For a second Jay was afraid to see a disappointed look on Gil's face, but the other guy still smiled at him.

"Like the Enchanted Lake?" Gil asked him. "I heard it is beautiful with a waterfall and everything."

"The Enchanted Lake is something you should see during night," Jay responded. "During the day it's actually crowded there. But I could show you that place one day. First let me show you something else."

It was a short walk to where Jay was heading to. They had to walk through the woods, a place where Gil had been before. He still looked around in amazement, taking every little detail in. Last time he was in the woods they were actually fighting of the Queen of Mean, which meant they didn't had time to look around for long. This time Gil had nothing to worry about. Carefree he noticed how the sunshine left a golden glow on the trees, while the leaves softly rustled through the wind. Different flowers of all kind of colours stood at each side of the path. Birds were chirping in the trees, singing all kind of different songs around them. He couldn't stop smiling as he was surrounded by all those new wonders.

"What is actually the best part of Auradon?" Gil suddenly asked Jay, still looking around. Jay looked up in surprise. He never really thought about that before.

"I don't know," Jay said still thinking. "Maybe the tourney field. I always enjoyed playing tourney."

Gil looked at him in disbelieve, slightly frowning. "The tourney field? You guys have all this and you're telling me the tourney field is the best part?"

"You've never played tourney, so you have no idea how it feels playing on it and hear people cheering you on," Jay defended his choice. "It kind of feels like a battlefield, but without the fear of getting stabbed."

Gil chuckled. He indeed never played any sport for fun, but he knew the rush of adrenaline going through once body during a fight very well.

"Well, I already enjoy rooting for you," Gil said with a slight smile on his face. Jay quickly looked away. There he did it again. Making him blush over a compliment he got a thousand times before. Why was it suddenly special when Gil said it? Jay shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He told himself he would not go down that road again. He hit Gil against his shoulder, which made the other guy look up in surprise.

"We're almost there," Jay said, changing the subject and quickening his pace.

Gil could actually see how the trees parted and light could be seen at the end of the already beautifully green tunnel. He send a quick look at Jay, suddenly nervous about what Jay wanted to show him. Jay kept on walking, unwilling to wait any longer to see Gil's amazed face.

At the end of the green tunnel Jay turned around towards Gil with a mischievous smile on his face. "You said you liked flowers."

Gil slowly walked up to Jay, not sure what to expect. But then he saw the most beautiful view he had ever seen. The path continued it's way till far to the distance, but suddenly both sides of the road were entirely covered with bright coloured flower fields. Plain green got mixed with red, yellow, white and purple flowers and followed the rolling landscape. Mountains could be seen in the distance now that the trees were no longer blocking the view. Even though there was still one huge tree standing in the middle of the colourful field.

Gil didn't hesitate anymore. With eyes wide open he carefully walked into the field to get a closer look at all the flowers. Gently he let his fingers slide over the pedals of a beautiful red flower. He wasn't planning on making the same mistake as he did with the rose bush. He wasn't going to pick any of these, even though they were so pretty. Suddenly his eye fell on a little light blue creature. It silently sat on one of the flowers, slowly waving it's wings. Curious, but still gentle, Gil moved his hand towards the creature, but it wasn't planning to be touched. It flew into the air, showing its beautiful colours once more. Gil still followed it with his eyes, while it still fluttered in the air.

"That's a butterfly," Jay answered the question that was indeed spinning through Gil's head.

"I've seen those at Auradon too. I thought those were only white," Gil said in disbelief.

"Actually they come in all kinds of colours and sizes." Jay's words were proven to be true, when Gil noticed another brown butterfly and close to it was another little yellow butterfly. Then Gil noticed another creature, which was flying from flower to flower.

"Wait, let me guess," Gil said while pointing at the flying insect. Jay could see how Gil was thinking deeply, narrowing his eyes to think clearer. "A bee!" It was a guess, but Gil still sounded confident. Jay nodded slowly as response and Gil's smile grew even wider. "Wow, butterflies look so magical."

Jay smiled as he saw Gil standing in the field of flowers, trying to interact with the butterflies and bees who were flying by. He didn't understand why he had been nervous to begin with. He should've known from the moment they stood together at the berry bush and Gil asked him to go exploring with him. The guy had literally no idea what the world had to offer, but he still wanted to see it all. Jay didn't need to take him to jungles or show him a living penguin just yet, at the moment a little ordinary butterfly was just as new and amazing to him.

"Oh, don't move," Gil suddenly said and quickly walked up to Jay.

Jay jumped up a bit. He hadn't even noticed he had been staring at Gil, while he had been lost in his own thoughts. But then Gil pointed at his right arm and Jay could feel a tickling feeling where a large, brown butterfly was resting on his skin. Jay got a weird sensation, while he could see how the butterfly moved it's antennas. Gil looked up close, full of happiness and excitement. The butterfly then flew away and both Gil and Jay looked up to follow it's trace. Jay started to look around, suddenly just as motivated as Gil to set eyes on as many butterflies as possible.

The boys followed different bees and butterflies, while they softly touched the different kinds of flowers. They slowly walked up to the huge tree in the middle of the field. Gil suddenly stopped when he put his gaze on the tree. When they stood at the edge of the forest the lonely tree didn't seem that big, but the closer they got the more obvious it became that the tree was actually huge.

"Wow," Gil said softly while looking at the tree and discovering the in twin paired smooth red berries. He then looked at Jay with a questioning, but hopeful smile on his face. His hazel eyes seemed to sparkle, as he looked still in absolute wonder at Jay. Jay looked back at him, realizing again his little present was a success.

"Are those edible?" Gil asked while looking at the tree again.

Jay smiled mischievous, he had been waiting for that question for a while. "That's actually why I brought you here."


	6. Chapter 6

Gil walked towards the tree, amazement written all over his face. He had seen a lot of trees in the forest, but none of them were as imposing as this one. He softly touched the tree trunk and looked up towards the top. All he could see were branches covered with green leaves and many bright red cherries. None of them hang low enough to pick while standing on the ground though. 

“How do we get up?” Gil wondered out loud. 

“I don’t know,” Jay answered, while he was already looking for a way to climb up. He then saw a branch, a little lower than the others, and he made some fast calculations in his head. He ran up towards the tree, climbed up against the tree trunk and then pushed himself towards the branch. He grabbed the branch, pushed himself up and was pleased with himself to recon it was actually easier than he expected. Gil on the other hand looked in awed, his mouth slightly open. Once more he was deeply impressed how things like that seem to be so easy to Jay. 

“You can grab the berries, I’m never going to make that jump,” Gil said apologetic. 

“Of course you will,” Jay immediately replied. “Come on, you can do it.” 

Gil’s smile disappeared, while he started to worry. Scared to fail and to disappoint Jay he took a few steps back. He had to try at least once before giving up. He ran up, tried to get as high as possible, before grabbing the branch. But then the wood slipped through his fingers and he landed on his feet back on the ground. He failed. He didn’t dare to look up, scared to be laughed at or to see a disapproving face. 

“See, you almost made it. Try again!” 

Gil looked up in surprise and saw Jay sitting far above him with the same charming smile he slowly got to know. Not a trace of mockery or disappointment was to be seen on his face, just a warm smile that somehow encouraged Gil. He took a few steps backwards again and ran towards the tree. This time he could grab the branch, but not tight enough to be able to hold onto it. Again he landed on the ground, but he wasn’t planning on looking down again. 

“Almost! Come on, one more time!” 

Gil looked up at him and nodded. He tried again and this time he felt how he tightly grabbed the branch. He pushed himself up and finally sat beside Jay on the tree branch. It was definitely not as graceful as Jay, but he finally made it. 

“Told you that you could do it,” Jay said and patted his shoulder. A smile appeared back on Gil’s face while Jay looked at him proudly. Gil then slowly stood up, grabbing other branches to keep his balance and looked for the first berries he could pick. He then noticed Jay had already a pair of them in his hand and reached it towards him. 

“These are called cherries,” Jay explained while Gil took the fruit in his hand. 

“Cherries,” Gil softly repeated for himself. 

Jay was surprised to see that Gil did not immediately eat the fruit. For a moment he kept looking at it, a deep frown on his forehead. He then looked up to face Jay again, a questioning look on his face. 

“I should not eat the green stem, right?” Jay chuckled, realizing that Gil learned from the strawberries. 

“Only the red part,” Jay confirmed, still smiling. “Oh, and you should also watch out for the pit. There’s this huge pit inside the fruit. I actually broke my teeth on it when I first tried a cherry.” 

Gil picked one of the two cherries from the stem and brought it towards his mouth. He seemed to take Jays words to heart as he carefully bit a small part off the cherry. His face lit up once again by the taste of the new fruit. Jay had to try to hide his smile. He would never get tired of that sight. Gil then looked up in surprise. 

“You were right, there is a pit inside.” Gil looked at the pit in his hand, but then dropped it to let it fall onto the ground. Gil then reached the second cherry back towards Jay. 

Jay didn’t know how to react. He blinked with his eyes, as he saw how Gil offered him the second cherry, even though Gil clearly enjoyed the first one. A friendly smile was seen on Gil’s face, while he patiently waited for Jay to take the cherry. With a racing heart Jay grabbed the red fruit, softly touching Gil’s fingers while doing so, and put the cherry in his mouth. 

“Wow, these are really good,” he said with his mouth full. 

“I know right,” Gil responded and his smile grew even brighter. 

“The best ones are on the top,” Jay said with a challenging look on his face. Jay didn’t need to say anything else. Gil accepted the challenge. 

Together they climbed in the cherry tree, searching for the best cherries to pick. The view got better the higher they climbed, until they could look across the entire field. The branches were getting thinner, but the cherries seemed to be getting sweeter. Suddenly Jay saw two bright red cherries, which seemed to be calling him. He knew the cherries were out of his reach, but he wanted them. Not the other one, who was closer to him and just as red, he wanted those two cherries. Gil followed his glance and saw the same two cherries swaying in the wind.

“We can take them,” he said, his voice sounded confident. Climbing in a tree wasn’t easy, he had noticed. But his confidence had grown since he and Jay climbed higher, helping each other to reach certain branches or cherries. He could help Jay once more. 

Jay took Gil’s hand, as they had done a lot at that point, and slowly moved his feet towards the cherries. The branch was getting smaller and smaller near the end as Jay tried to keep his balance. He could feel how Gil kept a firm grip on his hand, knowing he would fall down if Gil would let go. Jay reached out his other hand to get the cherries. Just a little closer. 

He moved his feet again, placing one foot on another even smaller branch. He leaned in again, determined to get the cherries, when a loud snap was to be heard and one of his feet tumbled down together with the stick it had been standing on. For second Jay thought he would fall all the way down, but a strong grip on his right hand pulled him back up and got him back on his feet. Jay grabbed the closest branch he could reach, while his other hand still held Gil’s. He remained his balance once again. He laughed nervously as he turned towards Gil, as adrenaline was rushing through his body. That was a little bit to close. 

“You’re alright?” Gil asked, even though the smile on Jay’s face already answered the question. He was just a little spooked. 

“Yes, I’m alright,” Jay answered. He let go of the branch and opened his hand to show Gil two bright red cherries. Gil smiled widely by the sight of the fruit and pulled Jay even closer to himself. 

“You still got them,” he said proudly as he picked one of them. 

They enjoyed their small victory as they both ate one of the cherries. It was at that moment that Jay suddenly noticed they were still holding hands. He didn’t mind at all. Jay knew he would not be falling down as long as he was holding Gil’s hand. Not that he was afraid of falling, even though he just almost did, but holding this hand still made him feel safer. 

Gil looked down at their hands as well, seeing how Jay softly ran his thump over his fingertips, the only part of his hand that wasn’t gloved. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he just stood there, trying to ignore his racing heartbeat. He looked up, looking at Jay’s face, even though Jay himself was still looking down at their hands. 

They were already standing pretty close to each other. Together high up in a tree, where nobody could see them, surrounded by firm branches and the many green leaves. Gil felt a weird sensation all over his body, as he wanted to move even closer to this other guy. He took one step, but the little space that was left on the branch made it hard. Jay looked up, Gil hesitated and they both pulled their hand away. The magic disappeared. 

“Well,” Gil quickly said, breaking the silence. He looked up, so he was breaking eye contact as well. “I don’t know if we can get any higher. The branches are getting really thin up there.” 

Jay looked up as well. It indeed might not be a good idea to climb all the way to the top. So Jay sat down at the branch they were standing on and Gil went to sit beside him. Jay reached in his pocket and took the cherries he grabbed along the way. 

“It’s so beautiful here,” Gil stated once more, while he looked at the mountains and trees in the distance. “I can’t believe I’ve been missing this my whole life and I had no idea.” 

Jay watched how Gil took one of the cherries of his hand and once again bit small pieces of it, till only the pit was left. 

“I can’t believe it either,” Jay said, making Gil look up in surprise. “Well, I’ve been here over a year now, but I’ve never climbed in a cherry tree or chased butterflies. I never stopped to look at a flower or listen to a bird before. I got used to Auradon and Auradon Prep by now, but somehow you make it all seem new to me.” Jay looked up at Gil for a moment. 

Those hazel eyes sparkled again as he shyly smiled and looked away. “I just hope I’m not a burden to you. I don’t know anything. I already destroyed a rose bush. I don’t even know how to eat a strawberry properly. I know I am a pain in the neck.” 

Jay softly shoved against Gil’s arm in the hope he would stop talking like that. Gil looked back up at him and Jay was glad to see those hazel eyes once again. “You are not a pain in the neck. Who even told you that?” 

“My dad.” The quick answer didn’t even surprise Jay that much.

“And my two brothers,” Gil added. “They’re all so much better than me, you should see them. I’m no good.” 

“I don’t believe that,” Jay said firm. “Why would Uma put you in her crew if you were no good. Besides, I’ve seen you fight and you’re good. Uma and Harry should be very lucky to have you on their side.” 

A little smile appeared on Gil’s face again. “Harry actually said that to me once,” Gil said. “We were repairing the ship when I fell from the mast and I hurt my shoulder really bad. I could see how Harry immediately ran up to me. I tried to act like nothing happened, but I couldn’t move my arm anymore. And I thought; this is it. I’m useless now. They’re going to throw me overboard or they’re going to give the useless son back to his father. But they didn’t. Uma actually said I should take a rest until my shoulder was fully recovered. Harry took care of me. When I apologized for being a burden, he smiled and told me they were very lucky that I became part of the crew. I never understood.” 

Jay laughed softly at the story. “It never crossed your mind that maybe you are valuable to them?” 

Gil looked back at Jay, a questioning but hopeful look on his face. “Am I?” 

Jay was lost for words. This guy was so strong and handsome, how could he be insecure about anything. Jay wanted to tell the other guy that he was indeed valuable, at least to him. He wanted to hold his hand again, tell him he made every moment better and brighter. But the words seemed to be stuck in his throat, while Gil still looked at him with the same hopeful look in his eyes. 

“Well, you should ask them,” Jay quickly answered instead. “But I guess you are.” It wasn’t even near to what Jay really wanted to say, but Gil still seemed glad with the answer. 

Then Gil looked back to the surroundings and suddenly pointed at a mountain in the distance. “Next time we should try to climb that! All the way to the top.” 

Jay immediately got an exciting grin on his face and nodded in agreement. From the inside Jay still tried to say the words which were actually going through his mind. The conversation drifted off as they laughed and shared the cherries together. 

When the sun was starting to set, they decided to climb down and walk back to Auradon. On their way back Jay wished he was brave enough to grab Gil’s hand again and hold it tightly, even though they were back on the ground and there was no risk of falling down. He just wanted to hold that hand, but he didn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can’t be the only one who gets strong A Whole New World from Aladdin vibes with these two. Especially when they’re talking about exploring the world together. I mean come on where’s the magic carpet? I tried to get those same vibes with these last two chapters. I hope I succeeded. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks to everyone for reading my fanfiction. I hope you’re all enjoying it so far. Also thank you for the kudos and the comment. I appreciate it a lot. ^^


	7. Chapter 7

Gil was softly humming to himself, while he walked back to the ship. He softly rubbed his thump over his own fingertips, trying to get the same sensation as in the cherry tree a few hours ago. When he closed his eyes he could still see those bright red cherries, the outstretched flower field and the most charming smile he had ever seen. All the words Jay had said to him were still rolling through his mind. He blushed as he thought back on how Jay had helped him to climb in the tree. Gil was still lost in his own thoughts when he walked on the ship, still looking at the hand that Jay had been holding. 

“Where have you been?” Gil looked up and saw Uma standing just a few steps away. “It’s already getting dark. You even missed dinner.” Gil tried to get a clear mind again, when another shadow stepped forward. 

“Gil went on a little date with Jay.” Harry responded before Gil even got the chance. 

“A date?” Gil responded, not even sure what the word meant. “No, Jay and I actually went exploring.” 

Harry rolled with his eyes. “Two persons who like each other who are doing stuff together. I believe that’s what they call a date here in Auradon.” 

Gil looked at him confused, still trying to understand what ‘a date’ meant. 

“What are you doing on a date with him?” Uma asked and interrupted his thoughts. Gil wasn’t the only one who was confused at the moment. 

Gil’s eyes immediately lit up thinking about the day that had just passed. “Oh, he brought me to this incredible flower field,” he started enthusiastic. “There were butterflies everywhere. You should’ve seen them, they were so pretty. We went chasing them. Then he took me to this huge cherry tree. We climbed up into the tree to pick and eat the cherries. Man, I love cherries. We didn’t make it all to the top, though. After that we shared some cherries and watched the sunset together.” 

Uma raised her eyebrows towards Gil, while Harry stood beside her with a proud I-told-you-so look on his face.

“One could really start to wonder what happened in the middle of a field with flowers and butterflies,” Harry said with a sly smile on his face. Uma shook her head and ignored Harry’s comment, even though she was starting to ask herself the same question. 

“That’s not what I actually meant,” Uma continued towards Gil. “I mean why were you on a date with him?” 

“Just a few weeks in Auradon and he’s already betraying us,” Harry again responded even before Gil could think about the question. 

Gil’s eyes grew wider, fear clearly written on his face. “I’m not betraying you, am I?” Gil knew from the beginning that they were supposed to be enemies again. They were supposed to hate Mal’s group, but that seemed such a long time ago. Mal and Uma were getting friends themselves, or did something happen again? 

Uma could see the plain fear on Gil’s face. She sighed frustrated and got the urge to hit Harry somewhere. She just wanted to know what was going on.

“Don’t listen to him,” Uma responded to Gil, ignoring Harry once more. “I’m just wondering what you see in this fake VK kid.” 

“Well, he is gorgeous!” 

“Harry, shut up!” Uma turned towards Harry and send him a stern look. He smiled back at her, not frightened by it, but he decided to be quiet for a minute. 

Uma looked back at Gil, hoping to finally get an answer on her question. What was exactly going on between Gil and Jay? Gil still had an unsure look on his face. He never really thought about it. 

“I can’t really explain,” Gil said, still thinking. But then he remembered the icebreaker, just saying what you liked about the other person. “I like how he’s so kind and how he’s willing to show me all these cool stuff. I also like all this energy he has, like how he was climbing in the tree today. And I really like his smile. Oh, I also like his eyes. His eyes are really pretty.” 

Both Uma and Harry could notice how all the uncertainties seem to disappear while Gil was talking about Jay. A smile appeared on the boy’s face and his eyes seem to lit up. Uma slowly turned her face towards Harry. How long was this going on and how long did Harry know about this? Even Harry went quiet as he looked back at Uma. He had no idea it was that bad. The smile disappeared on Gil’s face, as he watch Uma and Harry looking at each other in uncertainty. 

“Did I say something wrong?” Gil dared to ask. 

“You did nothing wrong,” Uma immediately responded. “Just be careful.” 

Gil sighed relieved, even though it still felt like he had said something he should’ve stayed quiet about. He wasn’t sure if the conversation was over, even though he wanted to go below deck to find some food. He was sure they had some leftovers for him. 

“Can I…?” Gil carefully tried and pointed to the door. Uma shrugged and nodded, giving her permission this way. She knew what she wanted to know. It seemed Gil had fallen in love, but Gaston’s son didn’t seem to realize it yet. 

Gil was ready to leave, but then a last thought crossed his mind and he turned towards Uma and Harry again. “Am I valuable to you?” Both Uma and Harry looked up in surprise.

“Of course you are,” Uma replied without hesitation. Gil smiled relieved before continuing his way. Jay had been right. 

Uma and Harry looked at each other again. “What was with that last question?” Harry asked himself. “Did Jay tell him we don’t care about him or something?”

“I don’t know, but that was weird,” Uma admitted. 

“They are up to something,” Harry continued. “Mal is still up to something and Jay is trying to set Gil against us. We got to…” 

“Enough Harry,” Uma interrupted him and Harry closed his mouth immediately. “Even if you’re right and Mal really is behind this, which I don’t believe by the way, Gil seriously likes the guy. There might be things we don’t know about it, but I’m not going to stand in their way. Or do you really think Jay is messing with him?”

Harry sighed and walked away. He shook his head as he putted his arms on the railing of the ship and stared across the dark water. 

“That’s settle than,” Uma said before walking away. “Don’t do anything foolish.” 

Harry looked back at the horizon. He indeed didn’t think Jay was up to something. The smile on the guy’s face whenever he was looking at Gil told Harry that he was actually genuine. Harry knew he was just jealous. He was jealous of both of them. Harry turned around to get another glance of the blue haired girl. Was it possible that she would ever smile at him like that? Did she ever talk about him, like Gil just talked about Jay? Would she ever want to go on a romantic picnic in a flower field with him? Who knew what could happen in a field with flowers and butterflies. 

Harry shook his head and forced himself to look at the water again. He started to fantasize again, which could only lead to disappointment. He forced himself to think about Gil, his best mate. Why did it have to be Jay. Of all people Gil could fall in love with, why did it have to be Jay? Harry buried his head in his hands. He could hear the singing and dancing of the others in the distance, but this night he didn’t feel like partying. He just wanted to be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it nevertheless. ^^


	8. Chapter 8

Gil was running over the green campus, searching for a certain someone. A slight panic had been rising up on him when someone told him that he had to go to Fairy Godmother as soon as possible. He had done something wrong again, hadn’t he. Did he break something again? Maybe it were the strawberries he and Harry found and brought back to the ship. Maybe they shouldn’t have taken them. But why would someone leave a bowl with perfectly fine strawberries in the open if they didn’t want them to be taken by someone else? 

Fortunately for Gil there was someone he could count on, someone who helped him last time when he destroyed the rose bush. He had to be somewhere. There he was! Gil quickly walked towards Jay, who was together with Evie and Carlos. Jay could not hide his smile the moment he saw Gil walking towards him. But something also seemed off. He wasn’t smiling like he usually did. 

“Jay, you got to help me!” Gil said, not even greeting first. 

Jay already nodded, practice could wait. “What happened?” 

Gil indeed felt better when Jay was beside him when they walked to Fairy Godmother’s office. Again… Gil still hesitated when he stood in front of the door. He looked over at Jay. 

“Just one way to find out,” Jay stated and it managed to make Gil nervously smile. Gil knocked on the door, getting a ‘come in’ from the other side. He shot one last glance at Jay before he pushed the door open and faced Fairy Godmother. 

“Gil, good to see you got my message. Come in.” 

Gil send a confused glare at Jay. Shouldn’t she be mad? He walked into the room, cautious for when it turned out to be a trick. Jay still followed closely behind. 

“I wanted to introduce you to someone,” Fairy Godmother stated. Both Gil and Jay looked up at the woman and a younger girl beside her. The woman had short brown hair and a very warm smile on her face. Her green eyes showed kindness and compassion. The girl looked almost exactly liked her, accept for the long golden hair, that was tight up in a braid. Still the hair almost reached the floor. Gil couldn’t help but stare at the hair for a moment, wondering how long it would be when it would be loosed. Jay was already used to it, since he had seen the girl before. 

“So you’re Gil, the son of Gaston. I heard a lot about you,” the woman started. Gil was used to people saying his father’s name with a lot of respect or a lot of disgust, usually not something in between. This woman did neither and still had a friendly smile on her face. “I’m Rapunzel and this is my daughter Ruby. Is it alright if we have a little talk?” 

“Sure,” Gil answered, still having the feeling he was walking in an ambush. Jay, however, was relaxed and even had a reassuring smile, telling Gil that it would be alright. 

“I heard you wanted to learn more about flowers,” Rapunzel continued. “We might be able to help you with that. We come from a kingdom not far from here and we kind of have a history with flowers. So you can come with us and we can show you what we know.” 

Jay already got a smile on his face, understanding what Rapunzel was saying. 

Gil still frowned, slowly turning to Jay for support. Then he looked back to the unfamiliar woman before him. “You want to teach me about flowers?” he asked, wondering what the catch would be. 

“If you want to,” the blond girl answered. 

A hopeful look started to appear on Gil’s face, but he looked at Jay once more. Jay tried to hold his laughter. The confused looks on Gil’s face was probably the most precious sight he had ever seen. 

“Does she know what happened to the roses?” Gil carefully asked Fairy Godmother. Both Rapunzel and Ruby cringed a little bit. 

“We do,” Rapunzel answered. “But we still want to give you another change.” 

Jay could see how Gil’s eyes slowly lit up, as Gil slowly started to realize what was happening. Gil nodded gratefully, determined that he would not make a fool of himself again.

~~~~~

“Jay, look at all these flowers!” Gil shouted the moment they got out of the car. 

The drive indeed didn’t take very long, but the destination was absolutely worth it. It was a small kingdom with a small city in comparison to Auradon. They drove through the little, colourful streets towards the palace . There they stopped at a beautiful garden, accessible for everyone. Little children were walking with their parents, as they smelled the flowers and then continued their way. 

Gil stood in front of the gate, waiting to get permission to enter the garden. Ruby was the first to enter, closely followed by Gil. Jay and Rapunzel walked slowly behind. Jay had to admit it was indeed beautiful, while he let his eyes glance over the different colours and flowers. 

“Thank you for doing this for him,” Jay said to Rapunzel. 

Rapunzel simply shrugged. “It’s no problem. I’m glad to help.” 

“Well, it’s just most people in Auradon already keep their distance once they know who he is or what he is.” 

“Don’t think I’m naïve, because I spend sixteen years in a tower,” Rapunzel said smiling and made Jay look up in surprise. “I know he’s a pirate. And I know you also have a history filled with theft, Jay son of Jafar. The truth is, my husband was a thief as well when he was younger. He was actually sentenced to death before my parents gave him a second chance and banned the death penalty altogether. I believe that the barrier should’ve been destroyed years ago. You all deserve a second chance.” 

Jay looked up at the woman beside him. She smiled back at him, friendly and filled with compassion. He had no idea there were people outside of the Isle having a dark past. Without a prison like the Isle the best way to solve such ‘problems’ was to kill them. Though Rapunzel didn’t seem to agree with that statement. Jay then looked back at Gil and Ruby, who were already discussing the flowers in the garden. The girl smiled with the same compassion as her mother, not flinching away from Gil even once. Jay sighed relieved, Gil would be alright here. 

Gil was already lost, following Ruby on the path surrounded by all kinds of different flowers. 

“What are those?” Gil asked, pointing at the huge yellow flowers. 

“They’re called sunflowers.” 

“You’ve got so many of them,” Gil said while reaching out to one of them. Ruby held her breath, not knowing what he was planning to do. But then Gil softly touched one of the pedals and then let his fingers softly ran over the thick stem. 

“I know, we have something special with sunflowers here,” Ruby answered, quickly smelling one of the flowers herself. 

“Do you also have roses?” Gil asked, turning back to Ruby. 

She nodded happily and smiled at him again. “Follow me.”

Enthusiasm already started rushing through Gil’s body, but he still looked back. He could see how Jay talked to Rapunzel and even pointed at some of the flowers himself. He seemed relaxed and charming, as always. Jay was doing alright. Gil then quickly followed Ruby through the maze of flowers. 

“Here we are,” Ruby happily said as she pointed at the different rose bushes. Gil stared at them for a moment, taking in all the different colours and sizes. 

“I thought roses could only be red,” Gil said, while he softly touched a yellow rose. Ruby smiled at him and shook her head. 

“How did you actually destroy an entire bush by yourself? Didn’t your hands get hurt by the thorns?” Ruby asked the question that had been running through her head the entire time. She had finally found the courage to ask him. 

Gil laughed shamefully. “I have to admit, some of the thorns even went through my gloves. That should’ve been a clear hint that I was doing something wrong, right? But I just really wanted to pick them, so I could show them to everyone else. I know it was stupid.” 

Ruby smiled at the boy who was still admiring all the different colours of the roses. She started to realize her mother had been right. This guy might have come from the Isle of the Lost, but he didn’t seem evil at all, just uninformed. 

“First rule of nature,” Ruby said, while she stood beside Gil. “If you appreciate it, you should aim to leave it. You can look at the flower, smell the flower, softly touch the flower. But don’t pick it up, because you’re probably killing it by doing so.” 

“So…,” Gil slowly said while thinking. “You should never pick a flower.” 

“Well… Not entirely true,” Ruby said, also thinking out loud. “Roses for example need to be cut from time to time, to make room for more flowers. But you got to do it the right way. I could show you one day.” 

“But how about berries? Are you not supposed to pick the berries from a bush? Or cherries from a cherry tree?” Gil asked her. He was clearly confused. Gil wasn’t the only one being confused by the conversation. 

Ruby tilled her head slightly. “That’s fruit. Fruit is meant to be picked and eaten.” 

Gil got a frown on his forehead. “But why are we supposed to eat the fruit, but not the flower,” he thought out loud. 

Ruby had to quickly put her hand over her mouth to hide her smile. A soft laughter could be heard. It was getting obvious that this guy had almost no schooling at all. Even so, he still wanted to learn. They just had to start at the beginning. 

“I’m already wondering how I’m going to explain herbs to you,” Ruby said still softly laughing. 

“What are herbs?” Gil immediately replied. 

Ruby’s eyes widened. The questioning look on Gil’s face made her realize he wasn’t joking. This guy was seriously empty headed. She shook her head, a pitiful smile on her face. She already decided she wouldn’t give up on this guy. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I broke one of my fingers and it freaking hurts. On the bright side, it gave me an idea for a Gil/Jay one shot. So maybe one day I’ll write it down. Just wanted to share that with you. x3
> 
> I just had to add Rapunzel and Ruby in this story. I love Tangled and I love exploring Ruby as a character. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter. ^^


	9. Chapter 9

Gil and Jay stepped out of the car, being back at Auradon again. Gil still had a huge smile on his face, while they both turned around and said their goodbyes to Rapunzel and Ruby. 

“Welcome back,” Carlos greeted them from the stairs of the school. Lonnie was sitting beside him with Dude on her lap. 

“You two were gone for a pretty long time,” Lonnie said while she stood up, carrying Dude in her arms. “You guys had fun?” 

“Yes, it’s amazing over there,” Gil answered, while he petted Dude on his head. “But I really got to run now, Uma and Harry have no idea where I went and they’re probably mad at me for being late for training.” Gil then quickly turned to Jay, suddenly remembering something important. “Oh Jay, Ruby asked if we would come back tomorrow. I already told her I would. You’re coming too, right?” 

Jay already shook his head. “I’m afraid I can’t. I have Tourney practice tomorrow.” 

Gil’s smile disappeared by hearing Jay’s answer. He cursed to himself as he turned his head away. “I totally forgot about practice. I said I would come to watch.” Regret was seen on his face, as he stared down towards the ground. He still softly petted Dude over his head, unsure what to do next. 

“Don’t worry about it, it’s just practice,” Jay said as he placed his hand on Gil’s shoulder. The slight touch made Gil hesitantly look up. “You can watch me during the match next week. You really should not miss that one. It’s going to be the most important match of the year.” 

Jay’s enthusiasm grew while talking about the specific match. He had been looking forward to it for months, but knowing that Gil would be there to watch him play made him even more thrilled than he was before. A little smile appeared back on Gil’s face, glad that Jay wasn’t disappointed in him after all. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Gil said, regaining his own enthusiasm. “I’m definitely going to be there. I’ll be rooting for you.” For a moment the two guys just smiled at each other, both forgetting Carlos and Lonnie who send a confusing look at each other. 

“But I really have to run now,” Gil said, already taking a few steps away from the group. “I see you all tomorrow,” he said while raising his hand. But then he suddenly seemed to change his mind. He walked back to Jay, only to quickly wrap both his arms around the other guy. Before Jay could comprehend what happened, Gil had already released him. 

“Thank you,” Gil said as he send Jay another shy smile. He then quickly turned around and decided to make a quick sprint back to the ship. 

Jay was left behind, feeling completely frozen. He could feel his heart racing in his chest as he watched Gil rushing back to Uma and Harry. He didn’t even notice he had a stupid smile on his face. The entire world seemed to disappear, except for that bright smile and those two hazel eyes. He could still feel those two strong, but gentle arms around him. He wished Gil would still turn around and come back to him, even though he was already almost out of sight. 

“This is getting weird.” Jay jumped up as he heard the dog talking again. He painfully remembered he wasn’t the only one present. He quickly shook his head and tried to think clear again.

“Have a nice evening,” Jay tried to save himself. He faked a smile as he waved at them and tried to quickly walk away. 

“Ho Jay, wait up there,” Carlos said as he quickly walked up to Jay. He had an amusing smile on his face. “What was that all about?” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jay lied, while he shrugged. Maybe he could still pull this off if he played it cool. 

“Come on, you can tell us,” Carlos pushed a little. “We are your best friends. You can tell us if there’s something going on between you and…” 

“There’s nothing going on,” Jay interrupted him. 

Carlos crossed his arms and looked at Jay. He was not buying this for a second. “I remember when you were staring at me like that,” he said with a confident smile on his face. 

Lonnie almost dropped Dude in surprise. “You and Jay were dating? Wait, you two are gay? Or bi?” 

Jay rolled his eyes; why were they having this conversation. 

“No, we were not dating,” Carlos said, just answering the first question. “Well… It’s a long story actually.” 

Jay tried to walk away again. Maybe if he left quietly they wouldn’t notice. 

“But now you’re dating Gil?” Lonnie was clearly talking to him, so Jay stopped and turned around to face her. It surprised him that Lonnie didn’t seem to disapprove. He was sure Lonnie would think less of him when his little secret was revealed, but she didn’t look shocked at all. She actually looked excited for him. Jay sighed and broke eye contact with her. 

“There is nothing,” Jay finally explained. “It’s one sided. Again.” Lonnie’s smile disappeared as she tried to hide her saddened look behind Dude. 

“How do you know?” Carlos asked. He didn’t seem to believe it. “Did you already tell him?” Jay didn’t answer and just stared at the ground. He still didn’t know why he was even having this conversation. 

Carlos continued, knowing the answer on his question by Jay’s silence. “You should tell him. Gil seems really attached to you. He clearly likes you.” 

“You two look so good together,” Lonnie added with a confident smile. 

“Well, it doesn’t matter,” Jay answered, still showing his defensive behaviour. “I’m happy the way it is. At least we’re friends now.” 

“We also stayed friends after you told me you were in love with me,” Carlos said offended. 

Jay send a quick look at Lonnie, still not sure how she would react to all this new information. She send him a pitiful smile, ready to give him a piece of her mind as well. Jay sighed; at least the dog stayed silent. 

“I agree with Carlos,” Lonnie started slowly. “You have nothing to lose and I also think that Gil really likes you. That last hug he just gave you.” 

“It doesn’t mean anything to him,” Jay said. Both Carlos and Lonnie could notice that Jay was losing his tough act. “Could we please talk about something else?” Jay asked as he continued his walk. Carlos and Lonnie glanced at each other again, but decided to stay quiet for the time being. 

“The other guy is going to figure it out on his own soon, otherwise he has to be really thick.” Jay quickly turned around and send a death glare towards the dog. 

“Do not call him that! Gil is not stupid!” Jay angrily said and pointed a threatening finger towards the dog. 

Carlos quickly stood in between them. “You know he didn’t mean it like that. Dude likes Gil too, you know that,” Carlos said towards Jay and it seemed to calm him down a bit. Carlos sighed relieved, even though he secretly agreed with Dude. Lonnie walked in between the boys and send a smile to Jay. 

“So, now we have Gil and Carlos,” she said confident. “Any other secret crushes I should know about?” 

“I’ve got Jane,” Carlos immediately replied. 

“That’s not a secret. Who was there before Jane?” Lonnie asked as she tried to turn this into a girl talk.

“Nobody honestly,” Carlos said after thinking for a few seconds. “Just Jane.” 

Lonnie sighed disappointed and turned back to Jay. “And you?” 

For a second Jay hesitated if he could tell them about Harry, but he quickly pushed this idea out of his mind. Lonnie might have surprised him by being so calm when learning about his feelings for Carlos and Gil, but it was still better not to reveal any more secrets for this evening. 

“Well, I could tell you guys about this boy I once dated a long time ago,” Lonnie continued as she noticed Jay wasn’t going to answer. “It wasn’t really a happy ending, he turned out to be kind of a jerk. But I was really in love with him before I noticed.” 

Jay smiled and felt more at ease while Lonnie told her story about some guy he didn’t even know. It didn’t take long before Carlos was invested in the story, as he and Lonnie started bad talking about Lonnie’s ex. Jay was glad they weren’t talking about his love life anymore, even though he still couldn’t set his mind of things. His mind kept going back to Gil and the quick hug he had given him, wondering why Gil had come back to thank him. He had done nothing special. He didn’t know how to feel or if Carlos was actually right, he only knew he was looking forward to see Gil again the next day.


	10. Chapter 10

It was still early in the morning, while Gil was rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He was actually excited for the day, knowing he would go to Ruby’s place and learn about all the flowers again. It had only been a few days since he first went there, but it already felt like a safe place to be. The people were all nice to him and nobody seemed to care that he was actually a villain’s kid. Besides that, Ruby promised him that they would be cutting the roses today. Gil stepped of the ship, but immediately got stopped by Harry who was putting both his hands on his chest and got actually close. 

“My dazzling mate, I’ve got a present for you,” Harry said, looking deeply into Gil’s eyes. Harry then took his distance again and threw an object towards Gil. Gil just managed to catch it. “It’s a cell phone and it’s all yours. I even putted some numbers in for you, including my own.” Harry showed his own cell phone that he was holding in his hand. 

“Wow, thanks Harry,” Gil said looking at the little machine. “Did you put Jay’s number in it as well?” 

“And why would I do that?” Harry flirtatious voice quickly sounded annoyed. 

“Well, just in case I need him for something,” Gil answered carefully, noticing the sudden mood change in Harry. 

Harry walked up to him again and got even closer than before. “If you ever need some help, you just call me,” Harry softly whispered to him. Gil smiled and nodded at him, knowing he would still ask Jay for his number next time he would see him. 

Harry moved away from him again. “Well, now that’s settled,” Harry said with a flirtatious smile again. “Come on, Gil.” 

Harry gestured with his head towards Auradon and Gil knew what he meant. He followed Harry closely, grateful for the present he just got, as they walked towards the city. It was such a peaceful day when Gil and Harry walked over the pier at first and then over the green grasses of Auradon. Gil was already scanning the area, hoping he would spot Jay somewhere in the middle of the crowd. 

Suddenly his eyes grew wide as he recognized two other men he didn’t wish to meet. He grabbed Harry by his arm and Harry immediately stopped walking, being alarmed. He followed Gil’s gaze and noticed the same two men not so far away. They were standing in the shadows, but their size still made it easy to notice them. 

“What are my brothers doing here?” Gil asked as he already slowly stepped back. 

“No panic, we just slowly walk away,” Harry said, while he followed Gil’s example and slowly stepped backwards. He then notice one brother alarming the other and pointing at them. They already walked towards them. Harry cursed their faith and then pushed Gil away. 

“We just got to run now,” Harry said. 

“How? They’re faster than me,” Gil said back and Harry could hear the panic in his voice. 

“Just go, I’ll hold them off,” Harry said and pushed Gil away again. He hid Gil from his brother a hundred times before, he could do so in Auradon as well. Gil was still hesitating, while his brothers were getting closer and closer.   
“Just go!” Harry said once more and this time Gil turned around and ran away, back towards the ship. 

His brothers immediately quickened their pace as well. Gil could hear Harry screaming to his brothers to get their attention. The confrontation had started. Gil stopped and turned around. He could see how Gaston the Third easily grabbed Harry at his collar, hit him in his face and threw him on the ground. Gil’s eyes widened as he saw it happening. He didn’t hesitate anymore and immediately ran back. There was no way Harry would get the beating that he deserved. Gaston the Third grabbed Harry from the ground again and Gil knew he had to be quick. 

“What do you want?” He asked them, trying to hide his fear. Harry got dropped on the ground again, while Gaston Junior reached Gil and grabbed him by his arm. 

“We’re going somewhere a little bit more private,” he sneered to his little brother and dragged him along. Gaston the Third quickly followed. 

Gil looked back at Harry, but was relieved to see he quickly stood up and followed the three brothers, even though a little blood was coming from his nose. Gaston Junior slammed Gil against a tree when they were away from prying eyes. 

“Listen good little Gillie, this is actually very important,” Junior started. “The little pirate too, by the way. It concerns you as well.” 

Gaston the Third walked up to Gil who was already pinched against the tree by his oldest brother. Trip pressed his arm to Gil’s neck, making sure the youngest brother would not be up to any funny business. 

“Dad is planning an attack on Beast,” Gaston Junior continued. “And you finally get the chance to make him proud. It’s said you’re pretty close to the king and his monstrous dad. So you need to spy for us. Find out about the castle and the king what you can and report it back to dad. You get one last chance to make yourself useful.” Gaston Junior then turned towards Harry, who was still standing from a distance. He was ready to attack again if they were planning to hurt Gil, didn’t matter that they were twice his size. “Dad says he wants the pirates to join the attack. We’re going to overthrow Ben, kill the Beast and our dad will be the new ruler with Belle at his side. As it should’ve been from the beginning.” 

“So you heard him,” Gaston the Third continued his brother’s rant. “Give us information about the castle and the guards, so this time there are no funny surprises for us.” 

Gil nodded, he understood what his father wanted from him. Even though he wasn’t sure how he was going to deliver it. Gaston the Third slowly removed his arm away from his throat, until Junior walked back in. 

“One more thing,” he said walking towards Gil. With a quick move he hit Gil in his stomach, which caused Gil to gaps for air. “Don’t ever try to run away from us again.” 

With that the twins walked away. Gil fell to the ground, but quickly stood up to ran towards Harry. 

“Are you alright?” Gil asked, while looking at Harry’s nosebleed. He carefully took Harry’s head in his hands and looked for any other injuries. 

“So Junior and Trip are back. The freaking bastards,” Harry answered and whipped the blood away with his hand.   
“I’m so sorry,” Gil said, still holding Harry close to him. “I shouldn’t have run. I’m really sorry.” 

“Well, I told you to, didn’t I,” Harry answered. He softly touched Gil’s cheek to let him know it really was okay. “Next time you should actually listen to me. Now we both got beaten up.” Gil nodded, but decided that next time he wouldn’t let it get that far. 

“What are we going to tell Uma?” Gil asked while they continued their way to the centre of Auradon. 

“Don’t you worry about that,” Harry answered. “I will speak to her about the important stuff.” 

“Are we going to side with my dad?” Gil continued his question rant, not paying attention to Harry’s answers. 

Harry sighed annoyed. “I’ll talk with Uma first. But it sounds really stupid to me, honestly. Gaston really wants to attack a castle with I don’t know how many guards and huge walls with an angry mob. Well, it will just remind him how well that turned out for him last time.” It was supposed to be a joke, but Gil didn’t even smile. Plain worry was written on his face. 

“How am I going to explain this to Jay?” Gil continued, ignoring most of what Harry just said. Harry immediately stopped walking and pushed Gil back by putting his hand on Gil’s chest. 

“Jay is never going to leave Mal’s side,” Harry said. He looked Gil in the eye, making sure Gil would be paying attention to his words this time. “If you would tell him, Mal and Ben will know about it as well in an instant. Which would lead that we won’t even get the chance to think about all our options.” 

“So…,” Gil uncertainly continued, not sure if he understood correctly. “How am I going to tell Jay?” 

“You don’t!” Harry answered clear. “Why are you so obsessed with him anyway? Are you actually going to admit that you two are dating or not?” 

An even deeper frown appeared on Gil’s face. “I’ve been thinking about what you said about going on dates. Jay and I are actually going to explore again tomorrow. But honestly I’m not sure.” 

Harry raised both his eyebrows, sending a questioning look towards Gil. “Not sure about what?” 

“Well, I thought this whole dating thing was easier,” Gil explained. “I always thought it was just two people looking at each other, they start dancing together and it’s clear. But Jay and I looked at each other, we danced together. It should be obvious, but it’s not. It’s actually very confusing.” 

Harry shook his head and turned away. “Yea, I know what you mean,” he sighed while his thought drifted away. 

“You mean with you and Uma?” Gil asked as if it was a normal thing to be asking. 

Harry looked up in shock, wondering how it was possible that Gil had noticed the tension between him and Uma. If Gil was able to figure it out, then Uma had noticed it for sure. He quickly got over the shock and put a smile on his face. “No, of course not Uma. I’m talking about a completely different girl.” 

“Really? Who?” Gil continued asking. 

“You don’t know her,” Harry tried to save himself. Harry quickly thought of all the potential girlfriends he could have. It should be someone desperate, but also with a little style. There was no one he could think of so quickly, but he knew he would have her within a few days. 

“Anyway,” Harry said, quickly changing the subject. “You should be careful with Jay.” 

“Why?” Gil asked, worries back on his face. 

“Just don’t get to attached to him,” Harry answered, not willing to say anything more about the subject. 

Gil still frowned. He didn’t want to keep the attack of his dad a secret for Jay. But he knew he had to, having a direct order from Harry to keep it quiet for the time being. Gil also slowly started to realize that Harry was right. Jay would stay at Mal’s side, meaning they probably would turn into enemies again the moment Gil would tell him about the attack on Auradon. He stared at the ground and made up his mind. He would delay that moment as long as he possibly could. In the meanwhile he had to do whatever laid in his power to fulfil his dad’s commands.


	11. Chapter 11

Gil walked proudly between Ruby and Evie. Ruby carried a pot filled with roses. Most of them where yellow, orange or blue, while there was also one pure white and one bright red rose standing in the middle of them all. Evie already held a blue rose in her hand, while Doug beside her carried an orange rose. Gil and Ruby spend the entire day cutting and collecting the flowers. Rapunzel helped them picking the flowers who were ready to be cut. She was surprised to see how well Gil and Ruby were getting along. She remembered when Ruby was still hesitant about her mom’s idea to bring a VK to their garden. After the first day Ruby admitted the guy was nice, but he had a lot to learn. This day Rapunzel saw them laughing together as if they were already friends. Ruby didn’t even hesitate to heal Gil with her hair after he accidentally cut himself with one of the scissors. 

Rapunzel told them the flowers were supposed to go to the castle of Auradon, but Gil asked if he could give each of his friends just one rose. Even if it was just to make up for the last time what happened with the rose bush. Before Rapunzel had been able to answer, Ruby jumped in and suggested to pick different colours for each one of them. Rapunzel had smiled warmly. It wasn’t possible to have any objections against it when the two of them were already disgusting which colour fitted who. 

Rapunzel drove them to Auradon and they stopped at a little dress shop at the outsides of the city. At Evies 4 Hearts Ruby noticed how Gil got disappointed when Evie told them the others weren’t there. Fortunately she and Doug were happy to show them the way. Gil thought they didn’t walk fast enough and he had trouble to slow down his own pace. After what happened that morning with his brothers, he couldn’t wait to see Jay again. Even if it was just to make sure he was okay. 

“Here they are,” Evie said when they finally arrived at a green field. 

A smile immediately appeared on Gil’s face when he saw Jay practicing his moves. Jay turned around and was surprised to see Gil standing beside Ruby with a pot filled with roses. His face still lit up the moment he saw Gil approaching. Carlos stopped playing with Dude and noticed the eye contact between the two guys. He particularly watched Gil, since he already knew that Jay was on cloud nine. Carlos happily shook his head when he concluded Gil stared at Jay the same way as Jay stared back at him. 

Ruby was only focused on the king and queen who were just casually chilling on a blanket surrounded by all kinds of food. She had seen Ben and Mal before, but never quite in that manner, cuddling closely and just enjoying their afternoon together. Dude was the first to come running towards to greet them, Carlos followed closely. 

“Hey Dude,” Gil greeted the dog and ruffled over the dog’s head. 

“Good to see you again,” Carlos greeted Gil. Ruby put the pot with roses on the grass and Dude took the chance to take a closer look. 

“Did you steal these too?” the dog asked Gil. 

“No, I got these at Ruby’s place,” Gil answered the dog’s question. Ruby looked up in surprise when she heard the dog talk. She had heard rumours he could, but she didn’t believe it at first. 

“He helped Ruby with cutting the roses,” Evie backed him up. “There are a lot more. Doug and I have seen them. But they’re still in the car at the cottage.”

“Impressive,” Jay joined the conversation, while he walked towards the group. 

He was wearing his blue tourney shirt, while he had his tourney stick hanging over his shoulder. His long dark hair hung loose over his shoulders and he had a friendly smile on his face. Gil had never seen someone walk so graceful before. He couldn’t wait until he saw Jay on the tourney field again, when he could follow his every movement without anyone noticing it. Gil still couldn’t get his eyes of him though. Jay didn’t need to make fancy movements, every step he took seemed to be magical. 

“So you’re really learning about flowers now?” Carlos asked and Gil had to force himself to get his eyes from Jay to face Carlos. 

“Yea,” Gil replied. “You should see it, they have so many different flowers. Oh wait, here you go.” Gil gave Carlos a yellow rose and Carlos gratefully accepted. Gil then turned back to Jay and got lost into those dark brown eyes once again. Gil picked the bright red flower from the pot and reached it towards Jay. “This one is for you,” he said with a shy smile. 

Jay reached out to take the flower. It crossed his mind if he could secretly touch his hand while taking the flower. Just very carefully ran his fingers over his fingertips. Jay decided to just take the red rose and to not put too much thoughts to it. 

“I thought I told you last time, giving roses is a declaration of love,” Mal said and Jay silently cursed Mal’s bad timing. “You shouldn’t give roses to everyone. They might think you’re in love with them.”

“Ruby said it depends on the colour what the rose stands for,” Gil said back to her as he gave her a yellow flower. 

“He is right,” Ruby said as she took her chance to give the king an orange rose. Ben also accepted the flower with a smile. “Yellow roses stand for joy and friendship. Orange roses are also for friendship, but also for gratitude and support.” 

“Yea, and the blue ones stand for joy and harmony,” Gil continued the explanation as he pointed to Evie and the blue rose she was holding. “That’s why I gave Evie a blue rose. Because well, she was the first one who tried to befriend us pirates.” 

Evie held her rose even closer to her chest and bend a little through her knees. She smiled at Doug, holding the flower proudly. 

”And blue fits her,” Doug said, smiling back at her. Evie’s smile got even brighter. The flower indeed fitted her perfectly. 

Gil then pointed at the other roses who were still in the pot. Most of them were still yellow or orange, but there were also a blue and a white one left. 

“The white rose stands for purity and innocence. Which is why I’m going to give that one to Harry,” Gil said while he send a sly smile towards Jay. Jay laughed back at him and gave him a quick wink. He wished he could see Harry’s face after Gil explained the meaning of the flower, right after Harry already accepted the white rose. Gil’s mischievous smile let him know he was planning exactly that. 

Then Gil turned back towards Mal to finish his explanation. “But yea, only the red roses stand for love.” 

Jay froze as he heard those words. As if the world suddenly stopped spinning and time suddenly stopped passing by. He looked down at the bright red rose he was holding in his hand, the rose Gil had given to him just a minute ago. He noticed how Carlos send a quick glance at the flower and Evie also frowned her eyebrows. Jay swore he had never felt his heart beat so fast as in that moment. Jay desperately scanned all the roses, not sure if he was actually hoping to find another red rose or if he wanted to have the only one. Jay got even more confused as he noticed there was no other red rose in sight. And Gil didn’t notice at all as he turned back towards Jay. 

“I almost forgot,” he said as if nothing happened. “Harry got me a new phone today, but he didn’t add any of your numbers. Could you give me yours?” Jay tried to snap out of it, but he still couldn’t think clearly. 

“Of course, I’ll give you my number,” Jay replied, while he faked a smile. He tried to find his phone in his pockets, but his shaking hands didn’t seem to function properly. 

“You know what,” Carlos jumped in as he already held his phone in his hand. “Why don’t you just give me your number and I will send all the other numbers to you.” 

Gil agreed and Jay watched how Carlos exchanged numbers with him. It actually gave him time to take a deep breath and clear his head. ‘It means nothing’ were the words he kept repeating in his head. 

“Thanks,” Gil said to Carlos and looked at Jay again. “Man, I can’t wait for tomorrow. We’re still going to explore, right?” 

“Yes, of course,” Jay quickly responded. As if he could ever forget. Jay didn’t know how respond to the smile that appeared on Gil’s face. He tried to smile back, but he noticed he shyly looked away and smiled at the flower. He still felt the thorns of the rose in his hand. 

“I’m sorry I don’t have much time now,” Gil continued and somehow it felt like Gil was just talking to him. As if he forgot all the other that were standing around them. Jay looked up, clinging to his words. “Ruby and I have to go to the pirate ship, showing them the roses too.” 

“That’s right,” Ruby interrupted their conversation. “And after that we have to deliver the rest to the castle.” 

Gil nodded with an apologetic look in his eyes. He didn’t want to leave just yet. He and Ruby still said their goodbyes to the group. Gil petted Dude once more when he also lifted the pot with the roses. 

Jay felt like he was finally able to breath when the other guy was walking away. He still turned around to have a last glance. Gil surprised him by looking over his shoulder, sending another smile towards him. Jay was still holding the rose in his hands. He tried to hide it though, hoping none of his friends could see the redness of the flower. 

“Only red roses stand for love,” Carlos repeated Gil when the other guy was slowly going out of sight. Jay send him a death glare, while Carlos mischievously smiled back at him. Normally he would’ve hit him, but he didn’t feel like it. 

“Give him a break,” Evie said as she also could see Jay’s tension. 

Mal slowly frowned as she looked at her three best friends. “Did I miss something?” 

“No,” Jay immediately answered Mal and faked a laugh. “It’s a pirate thing. I mean, Harry gets the white flower.” 

Mal shrugged when she thought it over, that seemed like a fair point. Though Carlos raised his eyebrows and Evie noticed Jay’s shaking hands. Jay faked a laugh again, but he wasn’t sure how long he could put this up. He wasn’t so good at faking anymore, after being away from the Isle for so long. 

“I just reminded I have something important to do,” Jay suddenly said. He quickly turned around and walked away from the group. 

“Something more important than practicing tourney?” Jay could hear Mal’s words, but he decided to ignore them. It painfully reminded him that he left his tourney stick on the field, but he wasn’t planning on going back. 

He walked through the park, trying to clear his mind. 

‘It means nothing.’ 

He kept the same words repeating in his mind. 

‘It means nothing to him.’ 

A little too late Jay noticed a group of girls passing by. They giggled while they waved at Jay. He waved back as he send them a smile. The girls giggled even more because of the attention Jay gave them. 

“Who could be the lucky girl?” One of them whispered to the others and she pointed at the red rose. Jay still heard the words clearly. He stopped on the field, looking down at the flower.

That’s how it’s supposed to be. The guy giving the girl a flower while he asked her out on a date. Instead he was walking around with a rose he got from a guy. It was not just a guy, though. It was Gil who gave it to him. The guy that made him smile, blush and shake over the most useless things. That guy who just made his whole world change the moment they stopped at a berry bush. Jay cursed himself and continued his walk. He told himself over and over again that he would not go down this road again. Knowing things like this would only lead to disaster. Because the worst part was this guy didn’t even notice something was off. He was rushing back to Harry, giving him the pure white rose. 

Jay cursed again. He started to hate the flower more and more. He needed to get rid of it. Maybe he could just throw it away, hide it somewhere in the bushes. Bury it in the ground and forget about the whole thing. He then remembered the group of girls that had just passed him by. A new idea popped up in his mind. A guy giving a girl the flower while asking her out on a date. 

Jay looked around to glance over the other people who were in the park. Then he noticed a brunette, reading a book while sitting against a tree. She appeared to be alone. Jay made up his mind quickly. He didn’t know her name, but he was going to walk towards her, give her the rose and ask her on a date. He could ask her for tomorrow, so he had to cancel his plans with Gil and stop this once and for all.

Jay already put a charming smile on his face, quickly also putting his hair and shirt in the right shape. But with the first step he could feel the thorns of the rose stinging in his hands. Jay stopped immediately while still looking up at the girl. 

Jay sighed, as he looked down at the flower, softly touching the pedals. This was something he would have done years ago, back at the Isle of the Lost. Fooling around, faking a smile and guiding some girl to a deserted alley. It wasn’t something he was proud of nowadays. Besides that, he wasn’t as good at faking it anymore. Jay sighed frustration, while turning around. Maybe it was easier to just bury the flower. 

~~~~~

Jay laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He had no idea how long he had be laying there and he didn’t really mind. He tried to clear his mind, forget about what happened that day. But the more he tried to forget, the better he seemed to remember it. 

Suddenly the door swung open and Jay immediately jumped up to see Evie coming in his room. He let his head fall on the pillow again. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were in here,” Evie explained herself. 

“It’s okay,” Jay replied and just hoped she wouldn’t take long. 

“I just wanted to bring your stick back,” Evie said as she showed the tourney stick she held in her hand. “You left it on the field earlier. Is everything okay?” 

“Everything is fine,” Jay said as he kept staring at the ceiling. 

Evie was silent for a moment as she put the stick down and looked at Jay. It obviously was not fine, but it was also obvious Jay didn’t want to talk about it. She had to find another sneaky way to ask him. Then she noticed the little red flower which stood in a glass on his nightstand. 

“Carlos, Doug and I putted our roses in a vase on the kitchen table,” Evie started light hearted. “You want your rose to be on the table as well or do you want to leave it there?” 

Jay turned his head to look at the flower once more, just before he turned towards the ceiling again. 

“Just leave it there,” he sighed. 

“I should leave it here too,” Evie continued. “Such beautiful red colour, it really makes your room come to live.” 

“I guess so,” Jay said, slightly aware of what Evie was trying to do. 

“You know, I didn’t think Gil would be the type of person who would think about which type of rose would fit us best. He really surprised me today.” 

“He’s brighter than most people think,” Jay replied as he tried to sound casual.

Evie didn’t immediately reply as she watched Jay for a few seconds. She noticed something had changed in him since the night that they fought the Queen of Mean, she finally found out what it was.

“You really like the guy, don’t you?” she asked straightforward. 

It was silent for a moment, when Jay slowly sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds. 

“Yes,” he finally admitted out loud. Not just to Evie, but to himself as well. Evie send him a reassuring smile. 

“You’ll be alright,” she said to him. “Trust me, it’s all going to be fine.” With those words she closed the door again and Jay was left with his own thoughts once more. He turned to his side, so he could look at the flower again. He reached towards it, till he softly touched the pedals. He should think about what he would wear for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not uploading last week. I try to upload every weekend, but I’m certain I won’t succeed every week. Last weekend I needed some extra time to re-order the story for myself. 
> 
> Thank you to everybody who read, favourite and comment on the story. It really means a lot to me. Really thank you for all the support. ^^


	12. Chapter 12

Jay was possibly even more nervous than the first time they went exploring. Again he was way too early as he waited with two bikes ready to go. He scanned all the people who passed by, hoping to see Gil’s face. He tried to calm himself down, but he didn’t know how. It was not like him to be nervous about anything, but somehow he couldn’t stop his heart racing since the moment Gil had given him that stupid flower. Somehow he placed said flower on his nightstand and somehow he had been staring at it for the entire night. He had been thinking, dreaming with his eyes open. He wanted to ask Gil about the flower, longing to hold his hand, to kiss him maybe. Yes, he wanted to kiss him. He could see it clearly the entire night, even though Jay tried to push the image out of his mind. That wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. They were friends, that was astonishing enough, since they were still enemies just a month ago.

Jay sighed frustrated. It was a beautiful day at least. The sun was shining through the little, white clouds. A small breeze made those little clouds move in the sky. The nice weather caused for a lot of people to go outside and have picknicks on the green grass. Jay didn’t mind it being crowded. He knew that not many people would go where he and Gil were going. He did mind it though, that he still did not recognize Gil in the crowd. 

“Hi Jay!” Jay jumped up as he suddenly heard that voice behind him. He turned around and saw Gil standing there with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.” 

Jay sighed, secretly relieved to see Gil did not forget about him after all. 

“Don’t mention it,” Jay responded as he walked back to the two bikes. 

“We’re going with the bikes?” Gil asked enthusiastic. 

“Yea, but don’t crash them this time,” Jay said back as he threw one helmet towards Gil. “I had to borrow these two, because well… You know what happened to mine.” 

Gil stared down at the helmet he had caught. “I’m really sorry we crashed them,” he apologized and Jay immediately regretted mentioning it. Last thing he wanted was to make Gil feel bad about himself. 

This day might be tough for Jay, trying to hide how much he wanted the other guy. Maybe Jay couldn’t have everything he wanted, but most of all he wanted to see Gil smile. Hopefully with that little exciting sparkle in his eyes. The day had to be special for Gil, without any worries. Definitely not about some stupid bikes. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Jay quickly responded. “I remember Harry stealing my bike. It was probably his idea as well. I blame him.” Jay felt relieved when he saw a shy smile appearing back on Gil’s face, glad that his words helped to calm him down. Jay then put his helmet on his head and stepped on one of the bikes. 

“Ready to go?” 

Gil seemed to forget about the entire conversation about the bikes as a bright smile appeared and his eyes seemed to sparkle. “I’m ready.”

Jay was glad and relieved to see that Gil was actually very careful with the bike, even though he clearly enjoyed crossing over the small humps in the forest path. It encouraged Jay to go a little bit faster, to fly a little bit higher, to make the turns a little sharper. He would try everything to impress Gil, even if it was just a little bit. It would be worth it, as long as he wouldn’t be stupid enough to crash the bike himself. He had to admit, it was stupid all together. There he was, trying so hard not to get impressed by Gil, but still striving to impress the other guy himself. 

Sooner than expected they stopped at the base of the mountain and Jay made one last sliding stop. Gil was already looking up towards the sky, trying to see the top of the mountain. 

“Wow,” Gil said as he got of his bike. “It looked much smaller when we were in the cherry tree.” 

“It always does from a distance,” Jay replied. 

“Yea, but still. It’s huge!” Gil said looking up. Jay had to smile to see Gil’s amazement once more. He silently wished Gil would never stop being so enthusiastic about every small thing. 

Gil already started the hike, walking over the steep road that would lead them to the top. He was already wondering what it would look like, way up in the sky. Far away from everything else. Jay quickly followed him, not bothering to lock the bikes. Unlike the Isle no one would be dumb enough to steal a couple of bikes here. Unless Harry somehow followed them. 

Jay shook his head. Last person he wanted to think about was Hook, even though that guy was also still running through his mind ever since Gil had given him the rose. He wondered what happened after Gil had given the flower to Harry. Maybe Harry had been wide awake the entire night as well, wondering what it meant. Or maybe Harry and Gil were already a thing. Knowing Harry it wouldn’t surprise Jay. Just the thought of it made him angry. 

“You know, you are really good riding at those bikes.” Jay looked up as he heard Gil talking to him. “I felt like I was about to fall the whole time, but you have full control over it.” 

Jay had to smile when Gil’s words slowly sank in, somehow still glad that he had succeeded in making an impression. 

“You just have to practice a little more,” he said shrugging, determined to not show his racing heartbeat. 

“I hope so,” Gil continued. “Hopefully one day I’ll get my own bike and I can take you to everywhere you want to go. Yes, next time I will take you somewhere. Somewhere you won’t expect.” Gil stopped talking for a moment and seemed to overthink his words. “Okay, maybe not next time. I need to get a bike first. But I promise, I will take you somewhere.” 

Jay noticed how he got a warm feeling rushing over his entire body. He quickened his pace till he walked beside Gil. The road was just as steep as when they began, as they slowly walked up the mountain. 

“We just have to see what happens,” Jay answered, trying to hide his feelings once more. He had seen a lot of couples, sitting on a bike together. Usually the girl behind the guy, her arms around his waist, her head resting on his shoulder. He suddenly wondered how it would be, putting his arms around Gil’s waist, holding him closer and closer the further they drove. 

“But you would go with me?” Jay looked up in surprise. He had been lost in his thoughts again. Gil looked at him with an unsure look. 

“Of course I would go with you,” Jay quickly answered the question. 

Gil smiled again and Jay quickly looked away. This really had to stop. He knew Gil just wanted to have a good time, seeing as much of The United States of Auradon as he possibly could. At the end of the day he would be running back to the pirate ship as always. Jay tried to remember this as they walked higher and higher towards the top. 

Gil had to stop multiple times to admire the view. Jay had never climbed so high himself, starting to wonder why he never did so. The view got better the higher they got. After a while they could see the Isle of the Lost drifting in the sea. Gil stared at it for a while. Everything suddenly felt so far away. Like his dad and his commands didn’t matter anymore. It was just him, Jay and the beautiful nature surrounding them. He turned back towards Jay, who smiled reassuring to him. As if Jay knew what he had been thinking about. He wished Jay could read his mind, so Gil could be sure that the other guy knew how grateful he was. He wished he could tell Jay what had happened with his brothers the other day. Somehow he felt like it would be okay, that Jay wouldn’t even be mad at him. Gil smiled back at Jay. He had never felt this way with anybody before. Every moment they shared seemed to have something magical. He didn’t have to worry anymore to say something stupid. Jay made it feel like everything he did was alright. Everything would be alright. 

The road suddenly became less steep as they reached a plateau. A fence was placed around the edge to reassure everyone’s safety. A wooden bench was placed towards the view, with its backrest against the rocks of the rest of the mountain. It was a beautiful place to rest, with a green forest stretched in front of the mountain. Distant birds could be heard and a little breeze of the wind made the trees beneath them rustle. 

“We’re here,” Jay said as he leaned with his back against the wooden fence. 

“But we haven’t reached the top yet,” Gil said as he looked up. 

“We can’t go any further. The path ends here,” Jay said chuckling. Gil walked up to the stone wall that still reached towards the sky. He looked up again and tilled his head a little bit.

“It looks climbable,” Gil said testing his grip on the stone. 

Jay eyes widened. Something told him the other guy wasn’t joking. 

“Gil, the path ends here,” Jay repeated himself, but this time more serious. 

“Yea, but we said we would go all the way to the top this time.” Gil sounded just as determined as him. Jay sighed as he walked towards the mountain. 

“If we fall down, we will definitely break a leg. If we’re lucky…” Jay said worried, knowing it could also be a death drop. 

“Hey, don’t worry. I will catch you again if you fall, remember.” Gil turned his hand palm up. 

Jay remembered. Not a moment he had forgotten how he had been holding that hand when he almost fell down the cherry tree. That would’ve been a death drop as well. But that hand secured him. It made him feel safer, even when there was no danger at all. He had longed to have that same feeling again the moment he had let go. Jay sighed, but then shook his head. He placed his hand on the mountain, searching for some grip. He pushed himself up and made the first step upwards the mountain. Love made you do stupid things indeed. Very stupid things… 

“I’m going to blame you if I fall down though,” Jay said smiling nervously, continuing his climb. 

Gil still stood on the ground as he looked up to Jay. “That seems fair.” 

For a moment Gil looked down to his hand, wondering why Jay didn’t grab like he had done in the cherry tree. He shrugged it off and followed Jay’s example by climbing the mountain. It didn’t take long for Gil to be at the same height as Jay again. Jay quickly followed him, determined to make an impression again. Jay might have been better at climbing in the tree, he noticed immediately that Gil would defeat him in climbing a stone mountain. He made it look like it was no effort at all. Gil stopped every now and then, making sure Jay would catch up with him and also already admiring the view. Jay only looked up, concentration on the top he was reaching for. Gil was the first to push himself up and stand on the top of the mountain, a little plateau just big enough for a few people to stand on. 

“We made it!” he said excited, not noticing Jay was still hanging on the edge. “Jay, I called it! It’s amazing here!” 

With his last strength Jay pushed himself up and got himself on the very top of the mountain. He rolled himself on his back and watched the clouds as he tried to catch his breath. He was tired, but content with himself. Suddenly Gil’s face appeared above of him. 

“Are you alright?” Gil asked with a worried expression on his face. 

“Yea, I’m alright,” Jay answered still out of breath. He could feel his arms and legs shaking, but Gil didn’t show any signs that he had just made a great effort, except for a few drops of sweat just above his eyebrows. He still had such strong energy reflecting in his eyes as he looked down on Jay. Jay could feel his heart racing again when he looked into those eyes. His mind got back to the rose, still not understanding what was going on inside of the blond’s head. 

Jay sat up and looked at the view around him. He was surrounded by a green ocean of trees, which got a golden glow because of the reflection of the sun. In the distance they could see the Isle of the Lost, which indeed seemed to be lost in the huge sea that appeared behind it. He could see the huge castle of Auradon, that suddenly was very small and unimpressive compared to the other mountains he could see from their mountain top. He couldn’t help to be breath taken and he had to agree that the amazing view was worth the climb. 

He then looked up at Gil, who still stood beside him. The wind was playing with his hair as he looked all around him with a blissful smile on his face. He looked calm and composed. Or maybe just really happy. Time seemed to stop when Jay looked up at him. As if the world had stopped turning the moment they had reached the top. Jay had to gasp for air once more, while he admitted to himself that Gil’s blissful expression was the best part of the view.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Disney song which I believe fits Gil and Jay is the song ‘I Didn’t Know That I Could Feel This Way’ from the movie Lady and The Tramp II.  
> Another song I used for inspiration is ‘I Think I’m In Love’ from Kat Dahlia. I particularly used this song for Jay’s point of view. 
> 
> Hope you all are enjoying the story so far. Thank you for reading and all the support. ^^


	13. Chapter 13

“Do you think we can see the cherry tree from up here?” Gil wondered out loud after they enjoyed the view on the mountain in silence for a while. 

“It’s probably somewhere hidden in the trees,” Jay answered while looking around. Gil sat down beside Jay. He still had the same bright, calming smile on his face. 

“This has to be the best part of Auradon,” he said still taking it all in. “Even though I miss the cherries hanging around everywhere.” 

Jay chuckled as he looked at Gil. He still couldn’t take his eyes of him. The questions kept burning inside of him, while making sure his hand was close enough to Gil for him to grab it. The desire to touch the other guy seemed to grow with every second. Suddenly Gil turned towards him, and Jay quickly looked away. 

“You think we could have a picknick up here?” Gil wondered out loud. Jay looked up in amazement, not sure he understood it correctly. “You know, we could carry a basket with food up here. Put down a blanket and eat the food.” 

Jay couldn’t help but laugh, as he looked back at Gil. “You just don’t stop with amazing me,” Jay said still smiling. 

“What do you mean?” A frown had appeared on Gil’s forehead. 

“I just…,” Jay stopped for a second as he took a deep breath. It seemed like he just couldn’t set his mind straight. 

“Are you okay?” Gil asked after a while. “You seem different today. Kind of reserved.” 

Jay widened his eyes. He had been sure he was hiding it pretty well, but somehow Gil had still noticed it. “Why did you give me the red rose?” 

The question came out before Jay had realized it. He never meant to ask, but it had been running through his mind an entire day and night. Gil had to think about the question, but then his face lit up with excitement. 

“Oh, you meant the roses from yesterday. They were really pretty.” 

“Yes, but why did you give me the red one?” The words came out harsh and unkind, but Jay needed an answer now that the question was out. 

“Why? You didn’t like it?” Gil suddenly seemed hurt. 

Jay could slap himself in the face. Last thing he wanted was to ruin this day for Gil. He was so happy a few moments ago. Jay tried to calm his nerves, while he took a deep breath. 

“I did like the rose. Believe me, I did,” Jay said truthful. He knew if he truly didn’t like the flower it would not be standing on his night stand. “I just wondered why you gave me a red rose. And not yellow or orange like the others.” 

“Oh,” Gil said softly. He smiled shyly as he softly replied. “Well, Ruby said I should give the red rose to the one I’m dating. And Harry keeps telling me we’re dating, so I thought…” 

Gil stopped in the middle of his sentence. Jay didn’t look at him, but listened carefully to every word he said. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat as he slowly started to realize he had been right all along. It had been a Gil thing. All of it. The smiles, the hugs, the compliments, the lovely gestures, the red rose. All of it was just Gil being nice and utterly clueless. This was why he shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place, to avoid unnecessary heartbreak. 

“Should I give you a yellow rose next time?” Gil asked softly. Jay smiled and slowly nodded. That would be for the best. He couldn’t believe he had been so incredibly stupid. 

Gil looked away as well. He had been sure something was going on between them. The happiness he felt when Jay was near. The strong desire to be with Jay again when they were apart, even when he had left for just a few minutes. It was the way Jay made his heart race with just one smile, but also calmed him down by standing next to him. It all felt a lot like love, or at least a lot like how others described it. 

Gil knew he wasn’t suited for love, a lot of people told him so. He would end up as his dad, using and devouring women. Gil believed this was the truth, except for the fact that he had no interest in women at all, let alone devouring them. For years he had been questioning what that even meant. Until he met Harry. Harry! Gil lit up again, he suddenly knew how he could break the painful silence. 

“You want to know how Harry reacted when he got his rose?” Gil asked to Jay. Jay turned his attention back to Gil. He had been lost in his own thoughts, but he stood by his decision that he would not ruin this day for Gil. 

“Sure,” he answered and faked a smile. 

“So I was handing out roses to everyone on The Lost Revenge,” Gil began his story. “I gave the blue one to Uma. She was really happy with it, dancing around and all. But then Harry came and at first he looked really disapproving. So I gave him the white rose and he actually smiled. He even smelled the flower.” Gil smiled at the memory as he told the story. “But then I told him the white rose stood for innocence and his entire face changed again. From confused, to discontent and back to confused again. I wish you had been there.” 

Jay laughed with Gil, while imagining the distress on Harry’s face. 

“But then he suddenly looked mischievous,” Gil continued his story. “He said; ‘I’ll show you how innocent I am.’ So he kissed me and…” 

“Harry kissed you?” Jay interrupted Gil. He sighed frustrated. He suddenly felt the urge to climb down the mountain, go to the pirate ship and punch Hook in his face. 

“Yea, he does that sometimes,” Gil answered calmly. He frowned as he noticed Jay’s sudden distress. 

“So what… You and Harry are together?” Jay could feel his anger rise. Gil had been talking about the two of them dating and suddenly it seemed that he had been dating Harry all along. 

“You mean…,” Gil slowly replied while thinking about the question. “Like a couple? I don’t think so. Harry kissed almost everybody in our crew, but honestly, I believe he is only really set on Uma.” 

“And you?” Jay continued asking. 

“What?” 

“Well, what do you think about it?” 

“I don’t really mind when he kisses me,” Gil said shrugging. “It is nice.” 

Jay couldn’t help but laugh. His anger had faded away a little bit. It was clear Harry’s kisses didn’t mean much to Gil. 

“Just nice. I don’t know if I would describe Harry’s kiss like that,” Jay responded laughing. 

“Wait… Harry kissed you as well?” Gil asked surprised. 

“That was a long time ago,” Jay sighed. “But well, let’s just agree that Harry’s kiss is just nice.” 

“Is it supposed to be more than that?” Gil asked confused, looking at Jay. 

“It’s supposed to be amazing,” Jay answered. “It’s supposed to cure every curse.” 

“You mean like true love’s kiss? You believe in that?” 

“Not really,” Jay said shrugging. 

“Me neither,” Gil responded. “Even though Uma told me she had seen it with Evie and Doug. Apparently Evie kissed Doug and Doug woke up from the sleeping curse, or something.” 

“I’ve seen it happen myself,” Jay answered looking at the view again. “Mal kissed Ben and he was cured from the love spell Uma had put on him. It still sounds really dumb to me.” 

Gil looked back at Jay. Maybe if he could move in just a little closer…

“Come on, it’s time to climb down again,” Jay said. He stood up and gave a soft pat on Gil’s shoulder. “The sun is starting to set already and we have to go all the way back to Auradon. It won’t be smart to ride through the woods in the dark.” 

Gil stood up as well, but didn’t show any signs of leaving. Jay looked back at him as he had been noticing Gil was staring at him. They stood rather close together, since the little mountain top didn’t offer too much space. It was just like in the cherry tree, but this time it wasn’t so hard to keep their balance. 

Jay was holding his breath, only hearing the wind around them and deep down the rustling of the trees. He looked into those two beautiful hazel eyes, wishing he knew what was going on in the mind of the other guy. Gil just kept staring at him. Just a few seconds had past, but for Jay it felt like ages. Just when Jay wanted to turn around and started to climb down, Gil moved up on him. He laid his hand on the back of Jay’s neck, pulled the other guy closer to him and made their lips finally touch. 

For a moment Jay tried to step away from the sudden movement, but quickly calmed down as he could feel Gil softly pressing his lips on his. Gil could feel how Jay laid one hand on his shoulder and the other hand on his waist. The wind seemed to push them even closer as Jay took a step forward till their bodies almost touched. Gil felt as if they could melt into each other, as if they could become one. Their lips parted and they both opened their eyes. The wind blew through their hair, while they still stood close together on the lonely hill top. That was amazing.

Jay stared at Gil in disbelief. Gil quickly looked away, a nervous laughter escaping him. He wasn’t sure why he did it. He had been secretly dreaming about kissing Jay for a pretty long time, but he was never sure what it actually meant. It had felt so right, though. It felt so incredibly right. But he still couldn’t shake the feeling that he had done something wrong. Gil decided to step back, releasing Jay from his touch. But then he could feel how Jay grabbed his hand, softly squeezing in it. Gil looked up, causing Jay to sigh in relief. He didn’t want those beautiful eyes to go away. He didn’t want for the moment to end. Jay moved in again and softly pressed another kiss on Gil’s lips. Gil answered the kiss happily, holding Jay’s hand a little tighter. 

After that Jay stepped back and cleared his throat. “We should go now. Before it gets dark.” 

Gil opened his mouth. He wanted to say so many things, but he didn’t seem to find the right words. He was still unsure about what just happened. He only knew that he had never felt so invincible before. As if he could take over the world from this little mountain top. He saw Jay smiling back at him as Jay still held his hand tight. 

“Come on,” Jay softly said to him. 

Gil was still lost for words to say, so he just nodded and smiled. “Yea, don’t want Harry come looking for us.”

The climb back down was easier than up, but Jay was still glad Gil stayed close by. Jay was the first one to reached the plateau with the bench again. He walked towards the fence and looked over the outstretched forest before him. He could see the sun shining brightly on his left. It wouldn’t take long before the sun was completely set. 

Jay turned around and saw Gil standing behind him. He had been rather quiet while climbing down. Jay had to admit that he was kind of lost for words as well. He wasn’t sure if small talk would cut it for this moment. He had still many questions going through his mind, but for now he just wanted to see the other guy smile again. 

“You were right,” Jay started a little hesitant. He still forced a confident smile on his face, not willing to show Gil that he was actually really nervous. 

“About what?” Gil asked confused. People normally pointed out that he was wrong. To hear he was right about something was actually very unusual. 

“The view on the top of the mountain was much better,” Jay continued. “Climbing up was a good call.” A smile appeared back on Gil’s face and Jay didn’t have to force himself to smile back anymore.

“It was, wasn’t it,” Gil said still smiling. 

“Next time we’re going to have a picknick up there,” Jay said pointing up. 

“Yes, and we should bring grapes and cherries. Oh, and some sandwiches as well,” Gil happily added. 

"Probably something to drink too,” Jay added as he started their walk down the mountain. 

Gil quickly walked beside him. He still smiled at Jay as they talked about what they could bring on their mountain picknick. The ice had been broken once more. 

It was almost dark when the two boys were back in Auradon and stopped their bikes in front of Auradon Prep. Gil stepped off and took his helmet off. He loved the bike, it was a shame he had to return it. Again the idea popped up in his mind to buy his own and surprise Jay to go on a ride with him. Gil looked up and saw Jay stepping of his bike as well. 

“I could also bring you back to the ship,” Jay suggested when he looked up at Gil. “It’s not that far and you’ll be there a lot quicker.” 

“I’ll be alright,” Gil answered. “Besides it would be a lot of hassle to get both bikes back here.” 

For a second it crossed Jay’s mind to suggest to take just one bike. So they could sit close to each other like some kind of couple. Gil putting his arms around his waist. Jay quickly shook his head, he was getting way out of his mind. 

Jay looked around. A lot of people were still wandering through the park, enjoying the last bit of sunlight and the cool evening breeze. He even recognized some people, realizing probably more people knew him by watching him playing tourney. If it wasn’t for them he would kiss Gil again. Maybe even taking him back to the cottage and let him stay there until the morning light. 

That didn’t mean they were a couple, but a lot of the others would think it was. Two guys together, that was just ridiculous. But still, he couldn’t deny how his heart kept racing and how right it felt when he kissed Gil on the mountain top. 

“Do you have tourney practice tomorrow?” Gil suddenly asked and interrupted Jay’s thoughts. 

“Yes,” Jay softly replied. 

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Gil asked. 

Jay nodded while a smile creeped on his face. He would love that. It would also give him some time to think everything over. Gil smiled back at him as he walked over to Jay. The urge to kiss the other guy grew stronger, but Jay already took a step backwards. Gil leaned in, his hand already placed on Jay’s cheek. Jay quickly put his hand on Gil’s chest and pushed him away. He walked towards the bike, acting as if he needed to check them. In the meanwhile he looked around, wondering if anybody had seen that. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Jay said, still trying to look busy with the bike. Gil stood their defeated, not sure if he had done something wrong or not. 

“See you tomorrow,” he softly replied, walking pass Jay. Gil turned around to look at Jay for a last time, but Jay didn’t look back. 

Gil quickly looked ahead of him again, walking back towards the ship. This was it, he was sure about it, that thing that people called love. He knew it for a little while now, every time that he looked at Jay. But Jay did not seem to agree with it. Gil fastened his pace, trying to figure things out. The words of his dads kept spinning through his head. His dad would definitely disapprove of what he just did. Uma and Harry would probably disapprove as well. Gil didn’t know why, but it was clear Harry did not seem eye to eye with Jay. 

Gil stopped walking when a sudden thought came up in his mind. Jay himself probably disapproved. It was clear, he had been keeping his distance the entire day. But somehow Gil had still pushed to kiss him. Twice… Gil gasped for air, realizing who he acted like. Gil had tried to be like his dad his entire life. Tried to live up to his expectations. Trained to be just as strong, as fast, as charming as his dad. Tried everything in his power to be that man. But he could not make the same huge mistake as his dad had made. Gil sighed. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe he could still make this right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, finally!! ^^  
> I don’t know why, but I always like to take it slow with these kind of stories. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and supporting the story. It means the world to me. ^^


	14. Chapter 14

“You got to do something about it! It’s getting out of hand!” 

Ben sighed for the tenth time that morning as his dad kept ranting about it. Mal sat on a chair staring at the ceiling. She wasn’t even fully awake yet. Belle stood beside her husband with an unsure look in her eyes. 

“Dad, we’re trying to get everything on track, but it’s not that easy,” Ben declared to his dad. “You’re right, there are a lot more things we have to consider. But we’re working on it.” 

“The entire city of Auradon is overflown with these Villain Kids. They sleep in the streets, stealing like there is no tomorrow. Fairy Godmother is already close to her breaking point and school hasn’t even started yet. Do you even have a plan?” 

“We are working on it!” Ben repeated himself. 

“You don’t even have a plan, do you?” Adam asked, already knowing the answer. He sighed as he also sat down. 

“Look,” The Beast continued more restrained. “I know you both meant well by taking the barrier down, but you didn’t think this through. More troubles will await us if we keep this up.” 

“So what would you suggest?” Mal interrupted the conversation and asked directly to the old king. Belle walked up to her husband and put her hand on his shoulder. 

“Belle and I have talked about it. We think it’s best to go back to the old plan, taking a few VK’s in every once in a while. The barrier has to be put back up and the island needs to be under control again. And some kids need to be send back to the Isle.” Adam paused for a second to look up as his wife. He continued as he looked at his son again. “Starting with Gaston’s son.” 

“Gil?” Mal and Ben both said in shock. They turned their heads to look at each other. One glance and they both knew they shared the same opinion. 

“We can’t do that,” Mal immediately responded. A desperate expression appeared on Belle’s face. 

“That kid is up to no good. I heard he already destroyed our roses. I’m absolutely certain he knows what those roses mean to us. Besides that he’s part of a pirate gang, which anchored their ship in my harbour without permission. He’s a thief and a pest and he needs to leave.” 

“Dad, how could you say that. You don’t even know him,” Ben defended the other boy. 

“Besides, the pirates helped us saving Auradon against Audrey, remember,” Mal said irritated. “Without Uma, Harry and Gil we would probably still be all asleep or made of stone. There is no way we could repay him by sending him back to the Isle.” 

Beast sighed as he looked at his wife once more. “Ben, you have to think about your mother,” Adam continued as he tried to stay calm. “Having Gaston’s son here walking around. It probably means Gaston himself will visit us any moment.” 

“Gil is not a threat,” Mal interrupted once more. 

“Yes exactly,” Ben backed up his fiancé. He walked towards his mom and softly touched her arm. His mom indeed looked terrified. “Mom, I understand you’re worried and scared. But I promise you have nothing to fear of Gil. Maybe you two just have to talk to him. You will see he is nothing like his dad.” 

“I’m not going to talk to that boy,” Beast immediately replied as he stood up and walked a few steps away. “And I don’t want him near Belle either.” 

Mal sighed irritated as she stared at the ceiling again. “Well, we’re not going to send him back either. Evie told me he and Jay are actually becoming good friends.” 

“Really?” Ben asked as he turned towards Mal again. 

“It actually surprised me as well,” Mal said looking back at Ben. “Jay doesn’t easily make new friends, but he and Gil seem to be really getting along.” 

Ben shrugged as he turned towards his mom again. “See, there is nothing to worry about.” Belle nodded and putted a smile on her face. 

“Maybe I’ll go talk to him someday,” she said to her son. Ben smiled back at her. He always knew that his mom was the bravest of his parents. 

“Well, you still have a lot of other problems,” Adam stated once more. 

Mal thought about it for a moment as she looked up at the old king. “Maybe The Sea Three could actually help us with that too,” she said with a smirk on her face. 

~~~~~

“What’s wrong with you?” Carlos asked Jay when they were walking back towards to the tourney field. 

“Yea, what’s wrong with him?” Dude backed him up. 

Jay looked up in surprise. He noticed he hadn’t been able to concentrate on the conversations they had. Everything that happened the previous day kept rewinding in his mind. The way Gil said he and Harry kiss every once in a while and the kiss they had shared on the lonely mountain top. Everything seemed so unreal, as if it was all just a dream. But when Jay woke up, the first thing he saw was the bright red rose, the prove it wasn’t a dream after all. 

“Jay, did something happen with Gil yesterday?” Carlos asked carefully. 

“Did you ever kiss Jane?” Jay asked back, ignoring Carlos’s question. 

The smaller boy looked up in surprise. “We did,” he answered truthfully. 

“How was it? How did you feel?” 

Carlos looked confused to Jay, not willing to answer the question. “Jay, just tell me what happened.” 

“They kissed, dummy.” 

Jay sighed and turned towards the dog. “You’re a dog, you shouldn’t even be talking.” 

Carlos got a massive grin. “Is it true though?” 

Jay sighed again. There was no point in lying to Carlos. “We did,” Jay said. “But it felt different. I mean I’ve kissed so many people before, both girls and boys. It never was a big deal and suddenly I feel all… fizzy.” 

Carlos’s grin got even bigger, as he walked up to Jay. “Seems like I was right. You’re in love. Seriously in love.” Carlos said laughing. 

“All right, just don’t tell anybody about it,” Jay hissed back. 

Carlos raised his eyes to him. “Why not? Is it supposed to be some dark little secret or something?” 

“Of course not,” Jay quickly said. “It’s just I’m not sure what it actually meant for him. I mean, we were talking about kissing Harry and then he kissed me.” 

“Wow stop!” Carlos jumped in front of Jay, making him stop in his trace. “Why were you two talking about kissing Harry? That just makes no sense to me.” 

Jay shrugged while thinking back of the other day. “I don’t know. Gil just brought it up all of a sudden.” 

Carlos saw his best friend looking down. He had never seen Jay like that before, he almost seemed in despair. Carlos decided to help him as he putted his hand on Jay’s shoulder. Carlos could see how Jay looked up at him again and he decided to take a little risk. 

“Never thought I would see you so tense up about someone. It’s actually really sweet,” Carlos said with a grin on his face. 

Carlos could immediately feel Jay’s movement in his shoulder muscles and he started to run, still laughing. Jay wanted to grab the little black-white haired boy, making him pay for his words, but Carlos was too fast again. Jay ran after the boy. He would get him for that. 

“Hey, wait for me!” Dude yelled, while he started to follow the two boys. 

Jay felt a little bit better, when he and Carlos arrived on the tourney field. He was ready to do some exercises with Carlos, so he could forget about yesterday for a moment. He could worry about that later, just not yet. But then his glance fell on a guy who was sitting alone on the tribune, watching the others practice and train. Jay could already feel his heart racing in his chest when he saw Gil in the golden morning sun. Jay tried to ignore it though and wanted to turn around already.

“Look who’s there,” Carlos said and he already pointed at Gil, as if Jay hadn’t notice him himself yet. “Go talk to him.” 

“Not here,” Jay immediately protested. 

“Why not?” 

“Look around! It’s way too crowded.” 

“So? I don’t see a problem.” 

Jay wanted to give a sharp response, but he got interrupted by an enthusiastic voice. 

“Hey guys!” Lonnie said when she caught up with them. Both guys greeted her back, but Lonnie could already see they were both distracted. Specially Jay, who send a quick glance towards Gil. It seemed like Gil hadn’t notice them yet. 

“Just talk to him!” Carlos tried to encourage him once more. 

“Did I miss something?” Lonnie asked directly to Carlos. 

“They kissed,” Carlos simply responded. Lonnie put her hand over her mouth and tried to hide the smile that grew on her face. A twinkle appeared in her eyes.

“I told you not to tell anybody,” Jay hissed at him as he hit Carlos against his arm. 

“Au!” Carlos quickly took a step back and rubbed his painful shoulder. “How was I supposed to keep it hidden for Lonnie? She’s been asking me for days if anything already happened between you and Gil.” Jay turned his angry glance towards Lonnie, but she didn’t back down. 

“Jay, it’s all right,” she said reassuring. “Are you guys official now?” 

“No!” Jay said as if he was offended. 

“You are going to make it official now?” Lonnie asked with a hopeful smile. 

“No!” Jay repeated with the same offended tone, but this time also with a little hesitation. Boyfriend and boyfriend, it sounded so ridiculous in his head. He kicked the ground to let out some of his frustrations, but he also glanced at Gil again. It still seemed like he hadn’t notice them yet. 

“Jay, come on,” Carlos said while grabbing Jay’s shoulder. “If I can ask Jane while she’s on the phone, you can definitely ask Gil here on the tourney field.” A smile finally appeared back on Jay’s face, when he remembered how Carlos also had a hard time to ask Jane out on a date. 

“Yea, because asking a girl is easy,” Jay stated with a confident grin. 

“What’s the difference between asking a boy or a girl?” Lonnie asked frowning. 

“There is none,” Carlos answered. “What Jay means is that it’s a lot easier to ask someone if you don’t really care. I don’t think Jay ever really cared about any of those girls, so it didn’t matter if he got rejected or not.” 

“Wait,” Lonnie said. She looked at Jay, connecting all the dots. “So you didn’t even care when you were flirting with me?” 

Jay simply shrugged with an apologetic smile. “I care about you now.” Lonnie smiled back at him. She knew that Jay actually cared, always backing her up when the other guys were giving her crap, but never looking down on her. 

“Well, I’m glad he’s no longer flirting with me,” Lonnie said truthfully. “It actually took him weeks before he finally got the hint I really wasn’t interested.” Jay laughed at the memories again. It indeed had taken him a few weeks to figure out Lonnie wasn’t like the other girls around here, swooning over just one smile. Lonnie was much more than just a girl, she also was a strong headed warrior. After Jay had realized that, he decided to treat her as one and they had spent more time together. 

“But we’re getting of topic,” Carlos interrupted the conversation. “And with that I mean, he’s already looking at us.” 

Jay looked up in a reflex and indeed saw Gil directly staring at him. He quickly looked away again and cursed to himself. Both Lonnie and Carlos didn’t say a word. They didn’t have to, the meaningful looks on their faces said enough. 

“You know… He probably has been waiting for you there for a while now.” Jay looked down to the dog who patiently sat beside his owner. Jay bend down to pet the dog on his head. 

“I know,” he sighed. He then turned around to face him again. That guy who put him in a trance for a month now, but suddenly terrified him. Jay raised his hand to greet the other guy and Jay saw how Gil waved back at him. Jay took a deep breath. 

There was no turning back now.


	15. Chapter 15

Jay walked up towards Gil, having to take a few stair steps to reach him on the tribune. He looked back one more time and was relieved Lonnie and Carlos actually started to do some exercises instead of staring at them the whole time. 

“Hi Jay,” Gil greeted him when Jay stood in front of him. 

“Hey,” Jay started unsure. He had no idea how he could start this conversation. By watching Gil looking nervously around it made Jay realize Gil didn’t know either. Maybe he should just sit down and have a conversation about tourney first. 

“Jay, I actually need to talk to you,” Gil started, ruining Jay’s chance to have a casual conversation. Jay sighed. He knew he shouldn’t delay it anymore further. 

“What’s up?” Jay responded, trying to hide his nerves with a smile. Gil didn’t try to hide anything. Jay could see how Gil nervously wringing his hands. A deep frown was seen on his forehead as Gil tried to find the right words. 

“I really enjoy spending time with you,” Gil started looking down. “Yesterday as well, when we were at the mountain top together. But I’m really sorry.” Jay frowned as his heart seem to drop. Gil raised his head and looked Jay straight in the eye. Plain worry was written on his face. “I am really sorry. I really did not mean to kiss you. Well, you could say it runs in the family. But that’s a really bad excuse, right? Anyway, I am really sorry. I promise it won’t happen again. Even though…” 

“Gil!” Jay interrupted Gil’s rant, since he got more and more confused with every word Gil said. 

“Yes?” Gil softly replied. 

For a moment Jay just looked at him. He wasn’t sure if Gil regretted the kiss or not, but something was clearly messing with his head. 

“What are you talking about?” Jay asked not unfriendly. 

“I forced myself on you,” Gil softly said. There was something in his eyes that Jay hadn’t seen before. Was it shame? Jay chuckled nervously. It sounded like a bad joke, but the look in Gil’s eyes confirmed him it wasn’t. 

“No you didn’t,” Jay answered. 

“Yes, I did. Just like my dad,” Gil continued. “I shouldn’t have given you that rose. And I shouldn’t have kissed you yesterday. But I swear it won’t happen again.” 

“What if I want it to happen again?” It were the first words that entered Jay’s mind. He quietly cursed to himself when the words had come out, but his regret faded away when seeing Gil’s reaction. 

Gil finally went quiet, looking at his hands again. The shameful expression made room for a shy smile, a small red blush appeared on his cheeks. The hurt vanished from his eyes and they became gentle again. He was suddenly lost for words. 

“You actually believe I would let you force yourself on me,” Jay said. His voice sounded upset, but he still had a smile on his face. “Who made you believe this?” 

Gil shrugged again, looking up towards Jay. “No one, it just felt like the only right explanation for what happened. I mean you said yourself you didn’t want a red rose anymore.” 

“Forget about what I said about the rose,” Jay quickly replied. 

“And you pushed me back when I wanted to kiss you goodbye.” The hurt appeared back in Gil’s eyes. 

“Forget about that too,” Jay rushed to say. “I kissed you back.” 

Gil still didn’t look back up at him. He just sat there. Staring at his hands, shamefully looking away. “I just hope you don’t hate me. You know, like how Belle hates my dad.” 

Jay could feel a little shock flowing through his entire body. Slowly all the pieces started to fall into place. Gil was just like everyone else. Behind those bright eyes was still the shadow of his dad hunting him down. Strong, but secretly also very fragile. Jay shook his head, realizing he fed those fears by being insecure himself. He stepped back, not wanting to get hurt, but hurting the other guy instead. Unintentionally, but still hurting him.

Jay took a deep breath. He should actually think about his words carefully this time. He sat down besides Gil, closer than he would usually sit to someone. But this time they weren’t alone, like in the cherry tree. Still Jay felt the urge to come even closer, for once not caring who might be looking over at them. 

“I don’t think I could ever bring myself to hate you again,” Jay said honestly. 

Gil looked down, while he was still squeezing his own hands. “You probably would if I told you everything, but I’m not allowed to tell you.” 

Jay raised his eyebrows. Gil looked up in fear and cursed to himself. He was probably not allowed to say that either. Jay couldn’t help but laugh at Gil’s despair. He just couldn’t keep his mouth shut, even when his life depended on it.

“Well, no matter what it is,” Jay said with a smile, not willing to push Gil any further. “I still don’t think I could hate you for it.” 

Gil looked back up, seeing Jay’s charming smile again. He noticed how Jay moved his hand closer to him. Gil still hesitated, but then slowly turned his right hand palm up. This time Jay didn’t ignore it and softly laid his hand in Gil’s palm. Jay’s thump softly rubbed over Gil’s fingertips, just where the topless glove ended. Jay quickly looked around. No one on the tourney field seemed to mind the two guys who were secretly holding hands on the tribune. Even Lonnie and Carlos were still doing their exercises without looking in their direction. Jay was relieved. He wasn’t planning to let go of that hand anytime soon, but he also didn’t want anybody to see them like this. 

Jay looked back at Gil, who had been looking at him the whole time. The soft touch on his fingers calmed him down. The kindness in those two dark brown eyes made him feel strong. Gil knew he still had a lot to figure out. Fear rose in him when he thought about his dad and the plan he had with Auradon. But for the moment he was safe, keeping Jay close to him. 

“So, where do you want to go next?” Jay suddenly asked. Gil looked up in surprise. 

“You still want to explore Auradon with me?” Gil asked. Jay squeezed a little in his hand and send him a charming smile. There was nothing he wanted more. 

“I would love to,” he said softly. “So, where do you want to go?” 

Gil finally seemed to believe Jay’s words, as a bright smile finally appeared back on his face. Just when he wanted to answer, he heard a strange noise coming from his pocket. It took him a moment to recognized the sound of a buzzing cell phone. 

“Someone needs you?” Jay asked who had much more experience with phones than Gil. Gil simply shrugged as he tried to get his phone out his pocket with his left hand. He refused to move his right hand away from Jay’s grip. 

“It’s Harry,” Gil declared when he finally got his phone out of his pocket. Jay sighed annoyed. Even when Harry was miles away, he still found a way to interrupt them. 

“Hey Harry, I figured out how to answer your call,” Gil said happily to his friend. 

“Great Gil, where are you?” Jay could hear Harry’s voice from the little machine. 

“I’m on the tourney field with Jay,” Gil answered honestly. 

“Hold up, you’re with him again? This is getting tiresome, why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” 

“Well…,” Gil slowly started. He looked at their hands which were still intertwined. Jay raised his eyebrows, pressing his lips together, silently hoping Gil wouldn’t answer the question. 

“Anyway,” Harry continued, not willing to wait for an answer. Jay sighed relieved. “We just got a call from Mal. You, Uma and I are all invited to the castle. It’s supposed to be urgent, so Uma and I are heading towards the castle right now. We will meet you there. You can bring your boyfriend as well. According to Mal the Core Four should be there too. It’s going to be some kind of meeting, I guess.” 

Jay looked up at the word boyfriend, wondering if Harry was referring to him or not. It was at least clear Harry had no idea Jay listened in to their conversation. Gil did not seem to be surprised with the choice of words, while he just continued the conversation. 

“A meeting at the castle? What could Mal probably want from us?” 

“I don’t know,” Harry answered. “Just be there as fast as you can. You should be glad, this is actually your chance to look around and get some information.” 

Gil’s eyes widened for a moment. He hadn’t even thought about snooping around the castle until Harry mentioned it. Jay noticed how Gil suddenly send a quick glance at him. 

“I’ll be there,” Gil quickly said before Harry could say anything else. At least then it would’ve been Harry who spilled the secret and not him. Gil hung up the phone and send a quick glance at Jay again, wondering how much of Harry’s words he heard. Jay didn’t seem to mind it, since he was already looking on his own phone. 

“I have indeed a message from Mal, asking me if I can come to the castle as soon as possible. Meeting with the Sea Three, it says.” Jay looked over at Gil beside him. He had already one of the three close to him. He put his phone away as he stood up. 

“Seems like we have to leave,” he said and Gil stood up as well. They walked down the tribune, still holding each other hand, until Jay painfully realized they were not alone. He quickly let go, but also send a charming smile towards Gil, letting him know he still liked him just as much. 

“Carlos, I got a message from Mal, we need to go to the castle,” Jay said to the black-white haired boy who was still practicing with Lonnie. Both Lonnie and Carlos seem to burst from curiosity. Even Dude stood right up, wagging his little tail and his ears upright. Jay already rolled his eyes and pushed Carlos ahead. 

“We need to leave,” Jay quickly said, before one of them had the chance to even ask the question who would be burning on their tongue. Lonnie quickly grabbed Gil’s arm when Jay dragged Carlos with him, already walking towards the castle. 

“How did it go?” Lonnie softly asked Gil. 

“Wait, you guys know what we were talking about?” Gil asked, raising his eyebrows a little. 

Lonnie didn’t answer the question, but just gave him a sweet, innocent smile. Gil smiled back at her just before he looked back at Jay who still manhandled Carlos. 

“I’m still not sure,” Gil answered with a frown and tilled his head a little. 

Lonnie laughed a little. “Yea, Jay is a hard nut to crack. But he’s in love with you. Just ask him straight.”

Gil frowned to Lonnie again, but also gave her a little nod. He quickly followed Jay, Carlos and Dude who already got a tolerable head start. He quickly turned around to wave at Lonnie, who gave an encouraging thumps up back at him. Gil nodded again, but this time just for himself. It was about time he and Jay would set things straight, even though they were both clearly not so themselves. 

~~~~~

The four of them reached the castle and saw Evie already waiting for them in the huge entrance hall. 

“There you guys are,” Evie greeted them. “Uma and Harry are not here yet, even though you’re already here.” Evie send a confused look towards Gil. 

“Oh, I just happened to be on the tourney field with them,” Gil explained. Evie already smiled at him. 

“That’s alright, Uma and Harry should be here any minute. You can follow me.” 

Carlos and Dude followed Evie closely as she guided them through the castle. Jay followed from a distance and Gil just followed his lingering pace. The opportunity finally appeared when Jay saw an empty room on his left and no one was around to check on them. Jay quickly slipped in the room and pulled Gil on his arm with him. Gil stumbled in and saw how Jay quickly closed the door behind him. Jay turned around to face Gil again. 

“I had the feeling we didn’t really had the chance to finish our conversation,” Jay explained his behaviour. Gil laughed at him, he didn’t mind at all. 

“So,” Jay continued their interrupted talk on the tourney field. “I have a suggestion where we could go next.” Gil already listened closely. “I promised you a while ago that I would take you to the Enchanted Lake. How about it?” 

Gil’s face lit up as he got a mischievous glint in his eyes. “We could sneak out in the night. You said the lake is best seen in the dark.” 

Jay laughed back at him and gave him a quick wink. They proved again that they thought alike. 

“When will we go?” Gil asked enthusiastic. 

“Uh, I don’t know,” Jay said thinking. “Maybe in a few days? I will text you about it, alright?” 

Gil nodded and Jay smiled at him again. Jay wanted to open the door again, but Gil’s voice stopped him. “Are you in love with me?” 

Jay slowly turned back towards Gil, a shy smile on his face. 

“Yes,” he softly replied, while staring at the ground. He then looked up at Gil again, showing another confident smile. “I thought that was obvious by now.” 

Gil laughed at him for a moment, before a frown appeared on his forehead again. “I never had a boyfriend before,” he said shyly. “Or a girlfriend for that matter.” 

Jay stared at him for a moment. Boyfriend and boyfriend, it suddenly didn’t sound that weird anymore. He walked up to Gil and placed a quick kiss on Gil’s lips. He immediately took a step backwards again, hoping Gil wouldn’t notice the blush on his cheeks. “Well, I guess now you have.” 

For a moment Gil just stood there. A bright smile slowly appeared on his face. He stepped forward, carefully closing the gap between them. He softly laid his hand on Jay’s cheek as he asked for permission with his eyes. For a moment he was terrified Jay would push him away again, but Jay actually moved closer to him. 

Gil closed the gap entirely as he softly kissed Jay. They might not be standing on a mountain anymore, but Gil still felt as if he was standing on top of the world. Jay put both his arms around Gil’s neck, moving even a little bit closer. The others could wait for a bit.


	16. Chapter 16

Jay knew he and Gil had been in that room together for a while, he just wasn’t sure for how long exactly. It just felt like a minute or two. But when they arrived at the meeting room he knew from the suspicious looks they got that this wasn’t the case. 

“Finally,” Mal said when they walked in. She sat impatiently on a chair with her legs on the table. She putted her feet back on the ground, making it clear she was irritated. “Now that they’ve finally found their way back from the restroom, we can finally start.” 

Gil tilted his head a little bit, but then noticed Harry and Uma already sitting around the table. He greeted them with a smile. “Hey you guys, you’re already here. They told us you would be later.” 

“Yes, they told us you were already here. But somehow we had to wait for half an hour.” Harry had his eyes fixed on Jay, while playing with his pocket watch in his hand. 

Jay noticed the hostile look Harry send him. He stared back at him, sending him a little provocating smile too. Harry narrowed his eyes, as if he could read what Jay had done with Gil a few minutes ago. 

It wasn’t that bad, honestly. They were just there, their arms wrapped around each other. It was Gil that took a step backwards, breaking their kiss. He reached for Jay’s hand, but this time not just to hold it. Careful, still scared that Jay would change his mind and run away, he brought Jay’s hand to his mouth. Only to place a gentle kiss on it. Gil had looked up back to Jay, a slight smile on his face. 

Jay had felt like he wasn’t able to breath anymore. He had never known that a little kiss on the hand could mean so much more. But it probably depended on who gave you such a kiss and why. Jay looked back up in Gil’s eyes. He looked happy, but also fragile. Maybe even scared. All the doubts he had before fated away. Jay stepped closer to the other guy, his boyfriend from now on. He wrapped his arms around him and let his head rest on his shoulder. Jay could feel how Gil did the same, just holding him for a while. Standing closely, but still tentative. Jay believe they had been like that for just a couple of minutes. It appeared it had been a couple more than what he thought. 

Jay shook his head and sat down besides Carlos. Harry’s threatening look towards him didn’t change his mind; it was the best embrace he ever had. He would’ve still been holding Gil if it wasn’t for this stupid meeting. Suddenly he and Gil were apart again. He sat with Evie and Carlos at one side of the table, while the Sea Three sat on the other side. Jay saw how Gil greeted Uma and Harry, but they both didn’t pay much attention to him. Jay hated it how there was suddenly an entire table between them. 

“Glad you could all make it so soon,” King Ben started the meeting formerly, as he rose from his chair. He sat together with Mal at the head of the table. “Mal and I apologize for getting you all here on such a short notice, but we have a few issues we need to discuss.” 

“Just a few, eh.” Ben looked down at Harry, who just interrupted him. Harry send him a crooked smile, while Gil had to chuckle at Harry’s comment. 

Jay narrowed his eyes. He was one of the pirates again, but it didn’t suit him anymore. He seemed so different just a moment ago when they were alone in that room. Fortunately Uma ended it quickly, just by sending the two boys an angry look. Harry smiled apologetic back to her, while Gil immediately shut his mouth and looked away. 

“Go on,” Uma sighed as she turned back towards Ben. 

Ben nervously cleared his throat before he continued. “Mal and I had a discussion with my parents this morning. And they are, like a lot of other citizens of Auradon, not satisfied about the current situation. So they want to adjust a few things…” Ben stared down at the table for a moment, trying to find the right words. 

Harry slowly started to raise his eyebrows, looking impatiently. “Yes?” 

“They want to put the barrier back up, isn’t it?” Uma guessed unimpressed. 

“Not just that,” Ben answered. He looked up at Gil, seeing how the other guy frowned back at him. He remembered how he met Gil for the first time, when he went to the Isle to search for Mal. He hadn’t even realized it was Gaston’s son. Gaston’s sons should be aggressive and hostile. Instead of that Gil was just really surprised and excited when he figured out he was King Ben. Gil even apologized when he tied him up to the mast of the ship, asking if the rope wasn’t too tight. 

“So what else would be the problem?” Harry asked impatiently. 

“What?” Ben turned his head back to Uma and Harry, who were impatiently staring back at him. 

“Don’t sweat is too much, King Ben,” Harry said with a wicked smile. “We pirates can take it.” 

Ben cleared his throat once more. “Alright,” he said. “But I want you guys to know that we don’t agree with it. Mal and I, that is. We don’t believe this is the right way to go. But… how do I say this.” Ben was looking for the right words again. Mal rolled her eyes. Ben was a really nice guy, but it wasn’t helping much at the moment. She sighed as she decided to take over. 

“The old king and Belle want to send Gil back to the Isle of the Lost.” Just as Mal expected Uma and Harry immediately jumped out of their seats. 

“Have you lost your mind?” Harry shouted, as his chair fell on the ground. 

“No way!” Uma responded. “There is no way you’re going to take Gil away from us.” 

It was then that Mal noticed a third person standing up. Both his fists were slammed on the table, his jaws clenched and his eyes narrowed. It was a long time ago since Mal had seen Jay so furious. He didn’t even seem to notice that all the others on the table stared at him. Carlos grabbed his arms, softly telling him to sit down, but Jay still had his eyes fixed on Mal. “Is this about the rose bush?” Gil carefully asked. Gil’s voice made Jay look away from Mal. Gil looked back up at Jay. He looked scared, as if he could break any moment. Jay cursed the table between them even more, as all what he wanted was to hold him again. 

“Guys, calm down!” Mal said back at them all. “Like we already said, Ben and I don’t agree with these solutions. We are not going to send him back and we are not going to put the barrier back up.” 

“You better not,” Uma said, bending closer to Mal. “Because if you do, I swear I will give you a watery grave very soon.” Harry backed her up with a threatening glance in his eyes. Mal didn’t seem impressed as she just looked back at the pirates. 

“Could we all just sit back down please,” Ben tried to calm the mood. He quickly sat down himself, setting an example. Uma sighed as she was the first to follow Ben’s example. Harry noticed just in time he had to pick up his chair first before sitting down. Carlos had to yank on Jay’s arm, before he finally sat down as well. Mal couldn’t help but to think that maybe Evie had been right. Maybe Gil and Jay did get pretty close in such short time. 

“Alright,” Ben continued after everyone seemed to calm down a little bit. “My parents think that putting the barrier back up is the only solution we have, but Mal and I like to disagree.” 

“I’m just guessing here, but I assume you’re having trouble controlling all the new VK’s,” Harry interrupted the King, looking at the ceiling. Ben looked back at him. 

“We got many complains in this short time,” Ben quietly continued, not wanting to admit it. “The people of Auradon finally got used of having the Core Four around, accepting Mal as their queen. But now we’re having a whole bunch of VK’s running around. And they are causing a lot of trouble.” 

“And why is this our problem?” Uma asked directly. 

“We want your help,” Mal answered. “We need a way to all live together, instead of throwing them back at the Isle. But honestly, at lot of problems start with you and your pirate crew. First of all, what were you thinking leaving your boat in our harbour?” 

“The Lost Revenge is not a boat but a real pirate ship,” Harry corrected her. “Secondly we did not leave her there, we anchored her in the harbour.” Mal crossed her arms before her chest. She had no time for Harry being a smart-ass. She turned her head towards Uma, ignoring Harry completely. 

“So you just want us to stay back on the Isle?” Uma asked back, not wanting to answer the question. “Or why wouldn’t we be allowed to anchor our ship there?” 

“Okay, let’s all just take a step back,” Evie quickly said, noticing the rising temper. “We just need to set some ground rules for everybody.” 

Harry and Uma looked at each other, not believing what they were hearing. Gil was still quiet, waiting for Uma and Harry to decide what to do. 

“We are still pirates,” Uma simply replied, looking back at Mal. 

“You just need to find something else to do, because I cannot allow your pirates robbing the people of Auradon,” Mal said back to her. “We know Harry has been caught stealing for ten times already. I don’t even want to know how many times he got away with it.” 

Uma turned her head towards Harry again. The look in her eyes let the others know she didn’t approve of Harry’s behaviour. 

“Yes, I know. I apologize,” Harry responded on Uma’s glance. “It’s difficult to suddenly have to lay low. Back on the Isle I could steal in bright daylight and nobody dared to batch an eye.” 

“Stop stealing!” Mal said, raising her voice. “It isn’t that hard.” 

“Let’s try some different approach,” Evie said, trying to get some of the peace back. “Harry, why do you feel the urge to steal.” 

“Because it’s free and it’s the best way to survive on the Isle,” Jay answered, causing Harry to look up in surprise. Mal also slowly turned towards Jay, glad to see he had calmed down. 

“Look,” Jay continued. “We are all from the Isle here. Except for Ben… So let’s stop pretending that we’re so different from each other, just because we were on different sides back on the Island. Because we’re not.” Jay saw Gil looking at him. He finally didn’t look like he wanted to hide behind his chair anymore. Instead of that a little smile let Jay know he was feeling hopeful again. 

“I agree with Jay,” Evie continued. “We are all from the Isle. We all grew up there. Except for Ben, of course. But we got the same roots and we know how hard it is to suddenly have to adapt to life in Auradon. But please, hear her out.” 

Uma and Harry looked at each other again, before Uma turned back to Mal. “Alright. What do you want?” 

Evie sighed relieved, glad the meeting was finally going in the right direction. 

“I know you have a lot of impact on all the VK’s,” Mal answered. “Not just the pirate crew, but all of them. I need you to send a good example, making sure they won’t go astray. Only then we could make this work. And you need to ask permission to leave your boat in Belle’s Harbor.” 

“For the last time; we anchored our ship.” 

Uma ignored Harry’s commentary and slowly nodded. “Alright, I will lay some new rules on my pirates, if you give us permission to anchor The Lost Revenge in the harbour.” 

“Deal,” Mal quickly said, not giving Uma the chance to add anymore obligations. 

“What about the rest of the Isle?” Carlos asked the group. “Shouldn’t the same rules and laws apply on the Isle in general.” 

“You want to change the Isle of the Lost?” Ben asked slowly. “We thought about it, but we don’t think that’s wise.” 

“Why not?” Carlos continued. “The Isle is a part of Auradon from now on, right? How can we expect them to live to our rules here in Auradon, if those rules don’t apply on the Isle? Let’s skip the confusion and let’s make them equal.” 

“I actually like that idea,” Jay said and playfully shoved Carlos. Gil smiled at them. He would like that idea as well. 

“Forcing a law on the Isle doesn’t seem like a good idea to me,” Mal answered. 

“But you’re still forcing the new rules on them here. What’s the difference?” Carlos asked. 

“The dog is right,” Harry came in between. “The Isle will always be a dark prison if you’re not willing to change it.” 

Mal and Ben looked at each other for a moment, but then Ben turned to the rest of the group again. “We will discuss this later. For now; Uma, please control your crew of pirates and make the stealing and robbing rates go down. Otherwise there will be consequences.” 

“And those consequences would be the barrier being put back up and some people will be send back,” Mal added. Uma raised her eyebrows on that last threat, but decided not to response on it. 

“Well, that’s all,” Ben said. “You’re all dismissed.” 

Harry was the first to stand up and kicked his chair. Uma quickly followed. 

“Is it okay if I take a look in your gardens?” Gil suddenly asked. “I’m still not allowed in the school gardens.” 

“Of course,” Ben answered, being surprised. He was sure Gil would respond to the threat they had made towards him, but instead he wanted to have a look around. 

Harry rolled his eyes, when he grabbed Gil by his collar and pulled him up. “Let’s go to your gardens,” he said, dragging Gil along. 

Jay kept a close watch when they passed and then left the room. Jay stood up, ignoring Carlos calling out for him, and followed the Sea Three.


	17. Chapter 17

Gil sat in the garden on a huge stone, watching Harry pacing by. Uma sat opposite of him on a wooden bench. They were already surrounded by flowers, even though Gil had the feeling there was much more to be seen up ahead. He was still waiting for Harry and Uma to give him permission to go. He didn’t want to think about the meeting or his dad, but Uma and Harry wanted to talk about it. All what Harry did was walking in circle with this infuriated look on his face. 

Gil wasn’t sure how he should feel. Maybe he should be mad, but he honestly wasn’t. He could actually understand why they wanted him gone. He was also less scared to be send back to the Isle, when he saw how Jay jumped up and showed everybody he didn’t agree with it. Gil was still scared nevertheless, wondering how he could possibly survive on the Isle without Uma and Harry. 

“Could you just sit down?” Uma asked Harry, even though they both knew it was a command. 

Harry looked back at her. “They want our help right after they threatened to send Gil back to the Isle.” 

“I know, I was there,” Uma simply replied. “But walking in circles and being mad about it isn’t going to solve anything.” 

“It’s because of his dad,” Harry continued and Uma rolled her eyes. “They want Gil gone, because they’re scared of Gaston.” 

“And we know they’re actually right to be scared,” Uma interrupted him. She kept her voice down, making sure no one could overhear them. “Gil’s gorilla brothers can be back any day now. And we have to decide which side were on.” 

Gil slowly looked up at Uma. He didn’t like the sound of that at all. 

Harry finally sat down besides Uma on the bench, even though he was still clenching his teeth. “I believe it’s obvious now which side we choose.” 

“If we succeed and throw Mal of the throne I finally get the reign that I deserve. Gaston can have Auradon if he wants, The Isle will be mine.” 

“And Mal finally gets her punishment for humiliating us and splitting us apart,” Harry added. 

Uma smiled at Harry. She laid her head on his shoulder and softly put her hand on his arm. She had missed her boys when she was hiding alone on the bottom of the sea, especially Harry. Harry finally calmed down when he could feel Uma’s touch and let his head rest on hers. Gil looked up at the two. He had seen them like that a hundred times before and it never minded him that much. This time the sight reminded him of Jay and the way he felt when he was holding him. Suddenly the image of his two best friends sitting close to each other made him feel lonely, while he quietly called out for his boyfriend. 

“Guys, I think I need to tell you something,” Gil said, disturbing the peaceful scene before him. 

Harry already sighed annoyed. “Please don’t tell me it’s about Jay.” Harry noticed the shock that appeared in Gil’s eyes. It was just a small movement with his eyebrows, a little flinch so to call, but it was enough for Harry to know that Gil had done something stupid again. It was at least absolutely about Jay. 

“I hope you guys won’t get mad at me,” Gil softly continued. Harry’s eyes widened. 

“I’m already getting furious when you say it like that,” Harry said jumping up. 

“Gil, what did you do?” Uma asked calm, but also with something threatening in her voice. 

Harry walked up towards Gil, making the pirate look up in fear. “I swear, if you said anything to Jay about…” 

“Guys!” Harry immediately went quiet when he heard Uma calling out. 

Harry looked up, seeing Jay in the shadows of a tree not far from them. He casually stood there, leaning with his shoulder against the tree trunk, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He pushed himself away from the tree, walking over to them. 

“Don’t worry Hook, Gil didn’t tell me anything,” Jay joined the conversation. Harry could hear the threatening undertone of his voice. “You just got me curious now. What is it you don’t want him to tell me?” 

Harry stepped away from Gil, a little smirk appearing on his face. “Well Jay, why don’t you tell me first why you and Gil were late on the meeting today? They told us you entered the castle together with Carlos and his dog. And suddenly you two disappeared? Carlos told us you went to the restroom, but to me half an hour seems a little long to take a piss.” 

Jay smirked back at him, secretly wishing he and Gil had done something outrages. Telling Harry they just softly talked while holding each other close suddenly felt like an anti-climax. Jay shook his head. He had to focus for a moment. “If Gil is not allowed to tell me certain things, than why should he be allowed to tell you anything?” 

Harry straightened his shoulder, walking towards Jay. Jay didn’t hesitate for a second and took a few steps towards Harry as well. Their eyes were both focused on each other, their fists clenched. 

“Oh Jay, you really don’t want to play this game with me.” 

“Too late, Hook. I’m already in.” 

They looked each other in the eye, both not noticing the distress on Gil’s face. He stood their frozen, while his boyfriend and his best friend were on the verge of fighting. Only thing he could do was send a pleading glance towards Uma and she fortunately immediately responded. 

“Okay, that’s enough,” Uma said, quickly standing in between the two boys. “Just back off, both of you. We’re here to work together, remember. Harry, I said back off!” 

Harry finally stepped back and looked away from the fight. It was then that Jay looked up at Gil and realized what he had done. Gil looked away, not able to look at Jay or at Harry. His mind was out of control, wondering which side he had to choose when a fight broke lose. 

“Gil.” It was Uma’s voice. Gil immediately looked back up at her, grateful to her that she had broken the tension. “Why don’t you go ahead and take a look in the gardens for a while.” 

Gil gave her a little nod, relieved that he was allowed to leave the scene. He trusted that Uma was able to handle it on her own. He quickly walked away from it, but not before he took a last glance at both Harry and Jay. 

“You’re both idiots,” Uma said when Gil was out of hearing distance. She pushed Harry against his shoulder, making sure he was paying attention to her. “Whatever it is you two are squirreling about, leave him out of it. He has enough to figure out as it is.” 

Harry and Jay looked at each other again, still threatening but both quiet. Jay was the first one to take his eyes from Harry, sighing annoyed. He turned around and quickly walked away, back to the castle. He wanted to follow Gil, but he knew Harry would follow him if he did. It would only cause for more tension between them. If he was to find out what the Sea Three were holding back, he had to be smart about it. In the meanwhile he just had to trust Gil that it wasn’t something too stupid. 

It didn’t take long before Gil was lost in the gardens. He didn’t really mind, though. He just hoped the others didn’t find him here and that there were no guards lurking around. He tried to ignore the exotic flowers and trees everywhere around him and tried to memorized the outsides of the castle. How many walls were there and how tall was each of them? Was it a possibility to enter the castle via the backdoor or a window? Or was it a better idea to brace the bridge and the huge front door of the castle? What would be the possibility for the soldiers putting an ambush anywhere? Gil knew all the questions he had to ask when one wanted to take over a settlement, both Harry and his dad told him over and over again. But for Gil all the questions had the same answer as he walked around with a deep frown on his face. 

“I don’t know,” Gil softly said to himself. He wasn’t good at making plans. Or at memorizing a place for that matter. 

Suddenly a beautiful plant caught Gil’s attention. Somehow it made Gil sighed relieved, as if the bush could help him in this matter. He softly touched the red pedals, smelling the flower. The scent of the rose already was familiar to him, he noticed. He wished he could take the flower, show it to the others, but he had learned from his mistakes. It was too late for this flower to be cut, already in full bloom. He would leave it be, just enjoying it himself. 

Gil looked around, finally noticing all the other wonders surrounding him. It was really beautiful here. The sunlight making every blooming flower look brighter and more beautiful. A little wooden bench seemed to be the perfect place to take a break. A slight smile appeared on Gil’s face. Enjoying the garden would be so much better than agonizing over questions he would not be able to answer anyway. Gil went to sit on the bench, closing his eyes for a moment and let the sun shine on his face. Unbelievable he had been missing the warmth of the sun for this major part of his live. 

Belle had been watching the boy from afar, observing how he handled the blooming roses in the bush. Ben had told her he would be there. She had been hesitating if she would follow him, maybe just take a look at him from afar and then leave unnoticed. Her first impression of him was conflicted. She could see the muscles on his arms and the size of his shoulders, telling her the boy was probably just as strong as his dad. He mostly wore leather, like most VK’s did, probably a weapon hidden somewhere. On the other hand he did not seem violent at all, with his eyes closed and a slight smile on his face, clearly enjoying the sunlight. Belle stepped forward, deciding to read the mysterious book that was in front of her. 

Gil immediately jumped up when he heard footsteps coming near. He expected it to be Harry, getting mad at him for slacking off. Instead it was a woman with short brown hair and wearing a yellow dress. 

“You’re Gil, right?” The woman asked. She seemed nervous, but not unkind. 

“Yes,” Gil answered. “Did Fairy Godmother ask for me again?” 

Belle blinked a few times, confused by the question. She then quickly smiled again as she could see the worried frown on the boy’s face. “No, she didn’t. You don’t need to worry.” 

Gil sighed relieved as he sat back on the bench. He seemed back at ease. 

“Is it okay if I sit with you for a moment?” Belle asked him. 

“Oh, of course.” 

Belle was surprised to see the boy immediately made room for her on the bench. She carefully sat beside him, scanning him again. Even from close by he still didn’t look violent. There was no arrogance, no overconfidence to spot at all. Just a boy enjoying a peaceful garden. 

“You like it here?” Belle tried to start a conversation. 

“Oh yea, the flowers are really pretty,” Gil answered immediately. “I love it how I already know so much more about them. Ruby showed me a lot of flowers, all kinds of them. Roses are still my favourite.” 

“Why is that?” For a moment Belle felt uneased again. Gaston’s sons probably knew about the magic rose and the power it possessed. 

“First of all they’re really pretty,” Gil answered. “But mostly because they have these thorns to protect themselves, but they don’t really work. They’re easy to avoid and even when you prick yourself they don’t really hurt. As if the thorns are there to ask you to handle them with care, instead of really hurting others.” 

Belle noticed how she was lost for words, as she blinked several times while staring at the roses herself. She expected many different answers, but nothing like this. As if he really felt a connection with the flowers in front of him. 

“You think any flower is actually out to harm us?” The boy’s question made Belle look up again. She looked in his eyes for the first time. She couldn’t recognize anything from Gaston’s in those light brown eyes, as the boy’s eyes were so much softer. She could also see this glance of wonder in his eyes, letting her know he had been genuinely thinking about his own question. 

“No, I don’t think so. And I think you described the roses magnificently,” she answered with a smile. She was surprised again to see the boy smiling back at her. She remembered Gaston mostly smirking, showing his confidence every time he did so. The smile this kid showed her was kind. 

“Well,” Belle said relieved. “I’m glad I took this chance to meet you. Ben was right, you’re not much like your dad.” 

The confused frown appeared back on Gil’s face. “Ben? You mean King Ben?” Belle nodded, but then noticed how his eyes slowly widened, connecting all the dots in his head. He suddenly jumped up, gasping for air. 

“You’re Belle?” 

Belle couldn’t help to flinch from him. She had no idea how Gil would react on this. She didn’t even intend to surprise him like that, assuming he already knew. 

“Wow, I heard so much about you. I can’t believe I finally met you.” 

Belle send him a slight smile, as her fear slowly disappeared again. She was searching for words to say, as she noticed that Gil was doing the same. He was clearly struggling for words, having his eyes towards the sky, mumbling unfinished sentences. Gil tried so hard to remember all the things his dad had said to him, things he should be saying to Belle. Messages, threats, fondling words to show his love. His mind seemed entirely empty, as if all the words his dad had ever told him to say just disappeared. Gil hesitantly looked back to her. There was just one thing that came to his mind. 

“I’m really sorry about the rose bush.”

Belle placed her hand in front of her mouth, causing Gil to look worried again. She quickly managed to put a smile back on her face, even though it didn’t seem to calm him down.

“Come with me,” Belle said while standing up. She walked back to the rose bush, Gil following her closely behind. “This bush is a descendant of the magic flower my husband Adam got from the enchantress. The same can be said about the rose bush in the school garden. There is not much magic left in these bushes, but it’s enough to heal itself. So I can assure you that it will be alright, the bush will bloom again.” Belle noticed the relieved smile on Gil’s face as he softly touched the flower again. 

“I heard a lot of stories about the magic rose,” Gil suddenly said, while softly touching the red rose in front of him. “My dad told me the Beast used the magic rose to put you under a spell and make you fall in love with him. While Harry told me the rose was more like a calendar, telling the Beast how much time was left to break the curse. But the last version sounds really stupid to me.” 

“Well, your friend was right,” Belle immediately said, feeling a bit insulted by his choice of words. 

“Oh,” Gil simply replied. “So I guess Harry was right about everything then.” 

“Depends,” Belle said hesitant. “I assume you heard the story about Adam and me. Or the Beast how you call him.” 

Gil looked up at the sky again, trying to remember clearly what they all told him. “My dad told me that you’re delusional. Or you were under a magic spell which caused you to leave him. He also called you plain stupid sometimes. I don’t know, my dad changed his version a lot.” 

Belle tried not to be insulted by the boy’s words, remembering who it was who raised the kid. 

“I can tell you’re an honest person, at least,” Belle joked, smiling carefully. Gil simply shrugged, as if he didn’t know what she meant. 

“What did your friend tell you?” Belle dared to ask. 

“Harry told me you never liked my dad,” Gil answered. Belle could feel the change in him. His voice suddenly sounded softer, as a hurtful glance appeared in his eyes. “He said you were scared of him, even despise him. He said he could prove it, simply by pointing out that we were left on the Isle and not in Auradon.” 

Belle looked back at the boy, not having the heart to tell him that his friend was right. It seemed so easy back then, locking all the villains on a small island away from the rest. She looked at this kid, who seemed so strong and fearless, but suddenly with a hurtful expression on his face. Gil carefully touched a rose, letting his fingers slide over the stem with the thorns, hoping he would get some solace from it. 

Belle didn’t hesitate anymore when she softly laid her hand on his shoulder. Gil looked up at her again and Belle was relieved to notice most of the hurt already disappeared from his face. 

“Well, you’re here now,” Belle said kindly. “Welcome to Auradon.” A bright smile appeared on the boy’s face. He still didn’t seem cocky at all, just really kind. 

‘And honest,’ Belle thought. ‘Definitely honest.’

“Gil?” They both turned around as they suddenly heard someone calling out. 

“Hi Harry,” Gil greeted him back without hesitation. Belle smiled at the other kid standing from a distance, realizing this was the friend Gil had mentioned. 

“Uma wanted me to fetch you. We’re going back to the ship.” 

Gil simply nodded and walked towards his pirate friend. He surprised Belle for the last time that day, by simply saying goodbye to her with a friendly smile. 

“Were you just talking to Belle?” The pirate friend asked Gil quietly, even though Belle could still hear them. 

“Yea, she’s actually really nice.” Gil answered much louder, which caused Harry to quickly hush at him. Gil listened immediately, lowering his voice as they continued their conversation. 

Belle watched them leave the gardens. She still felt conflicted, but not as much as she was before. She could see Gaston’s son walking away; strong, tall and all muscles, but with no violence or arrogance in his eyes at all. Belle turned back to the rose bush, carefully touching one of the thorns. The thorns who weren’t there with the intention to hurt others, but to ask to handle them with care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It turned out to be a pretty long chapter. Also a lot of pressure, as it was the first meeting between Gil and Belle. There needed to be some tension, but not too much. Got the feeling the first meeting between Gil and Beast has to be much more dramatic. xD
> 
> Thanks again for reading and supporting the story. Every single comment makes me smile and I want to say thank you to all of you. ^^


	18. Chapter 18

Jay was alone in his room, multiple study books laid open before him on his desk. Just a few more months before graduating. He hadn’t spent much time on studying though, just enjoying his summer holiday. Unlike Evie, who had been preparing for months already, aiming to get the highest grades of the class. Jay just wanted to pass, earn that piece of paper and continue with his life. He still had to study to make that happen, though. He couldn’t really concentrate on his work at all. He sat on his chair, spinning it around, wondering what Gil was doing at the moment. Probably doing stuff with Harry on the ship. The question was what kind of stuff were they actual doing on that ship. 

“Hi Jay!” Jay nearly got a heart attack when Carlos suddenly came bashing through the door. He was for once without his dog. 

“Could you just knock next time?” Jay asked, his voice already sounded annoyed. 

“I could, but what’s the fun in that?” Carlos answered, causing Jay to sigh. “Are you busy?” 

“Yes, I’m studying.” 

“Studying?” Carlos repeated, while raising his eyebrows. “What you’re doing is what I call; staring at the wall with your text books open. It’s not studying.” 

Jay smirked at that, knowing Carlos was right. He slammed his books shut, turning towards Carlos. “Should we just play a game or something? I’ll get us a pizza.” 

“Actually, that’s not why I’m here,” Carlos said slowly. He closed the bedroom door, suddenly a serious expression on his face. “I know it can’t be easy for you. We all have a lot on our minds, like graduating and what to do with our lives after that. Mal has her wedding and ruling a kingdom. And of course, Evie has her business with Doug. And then there is me, so happy I finally have a girlfriend for the first time in my life.” 

Jay nodded slowly, trying to look interested in the words Carlos was saying. “Your point?” 

“Look,” Carlos continued. He went to sit on the bed, turning Jay’s chair so he would be facing him. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re alone in this. I want you to know that you can talk to us whenever you want to.” 

Jay snorted and rolled his eyes a bit. “Yea, thanks. I’m not much of a talker.” Jay wanted to turn his chair around again, but Carlos quickly grabbed his arm. 

“I’m serious,” Carlos said, releasing the chair of his grip again. “It’s nice to get things of your chest every once in a while. Even for you.” 

Jay rolled his eyes again, but the look on his face already got a little softer. 

“So, you and Gil,” Carlos continued with a smirk. 

“So that’s what this is all about,” Jay said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

“Well, you’ve been really mysterious about it.” 

Jay quickly turned his head away, trying to hide the grin that slowly grew on his face. Carlos decided to use a different approach, realizing it still wasn’t easy for Jay. 

“You know nobody would think less of you when they knew,” Carlos carefully continued. 

“Falling for one of the pirates. A guy on top of that,” Jay softly said to himself. He then turned back to Carlos. “I feel like some treacherous fool.” 

“You’re the one dating a VK,” Carlos replied without any signs of mockery. “I would say that would make you the only one who didn’t betray our roots.” 

Jay slightly laughed. “That’s actually true. Remember when we all figured out Mal had fallen for Ben for real?” 

“Exactly! Now that was a shocker,” Carlos laughed together with Jay. 

“Still,” Jay said after a while. “It feels so surreal. Me and Gil being… Well… You know…” 

“Boyfriends?” Carlos filled in. The slight smile on Jay’s face confirmed it. 

“It sounds weird, right?” 

“Not at all,” Carlos answered without hesitation. “You know, in the beginning I also thought it was weird to call Jane my girlfriend. We had been friends for a while before that, so I wasn’t sure how to handle things. But I promise, it’s actually really easy to get used to.” 

Jay smiled again. Carlos sighed relieved. He wasn’t sure if it was smart to force Jay to talk about his feelings, but so far it seemed to be working. Jay already loosen up a bit, leaning backwards on his chair, uncrossing his arms. 

“I’m just wondering how I’m going to tell my dad,” Jay said, looking up at the ceiling. 

“Don’t worry about your dad. How about Gil’s dad?” 

“That’s easy. Not telling him at all,” Jay answered, for once not joking at all. 

Carlos still responded with a chuckle, understanding why Jay would be so resolute. The LeGume family wasn’t really known on the Isle for their understanding nature. 

“Did you hear anything from your dad yet?” Carlos asked curious. 

Jay already shook his head. “Last time I visited the Isle he still refused to cross the bridge. Still being paranoid and complaining he loses costumers for his shop. I told him he could actually get more goods here in Auradon. But you know my dad, he never listens. You?” 

Carlos sighed hurtful. “Haven’t heard from my mom so far. Even when I’m on the Isle I try to avoid her. I actually don’t feel like meeting her again. I don’t want her to go near Jane, absolutely not near Dude at all.” 

“You’re scared she might do something?” Jay asked softly. Carlos slowly nodded, trying to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. Jay sat upright again, bending towards Carlos and softly putting a hand on the smaller boy’s shoulder. “Don’t be. You’re much stronger than you used to be. You have nothing to fear from her anymore.” 

A slight smile appeared on Carlos’s face, but Jay could see he was still trying to hide his fear.   
“You think I can protect Dude if I need to?” Tears appeared in his eyes. Just the thought of his mother hurting his best friend had been breaking his heart. 

Jay squeezed in his shoulder, no doubt to be seen on his face. “I know you can. Besides, I know everyone in Auradon would protect him. I mean, we all love Dude!” 

Carlos smiled again, taking a deep breath as Jay leaned back in his chair. 

“Thanks,” Carlos said, feeling a little better. “See! Told you talking isn’t so bad.” Jay smiled back at him. 

“It looks like you needed it more than I did,” Jay said jokingly. He then sighed softly. “But yea, it’s not so bad.” 

Carlos smiled to him again, glad Jay felt comfortable enough to admit it. “So next time something is bottling up in you, you just come to me, okay?” 

Jay sighed again, but this time he held his breath a little longer. He looked away again, frowning worriedly and slightly gritting his teeth together. 

“Oh no, what is it?” Carlos asked alarmed. 

“They’re hiding something from us,” Jay spitted out. 

Carlos raised his eyebrows “Who are they?” 

“The pirates! They’re hiding something from us.” 

“Okay, so what are they hiding?” 

“I don’t know. I just know they’re hiding something.” 

Carlos slowly nodded, thinking about the information Jay just gave him. 

“Gil told me himself,” Jay continued. “He told me that he wanted to say something to me, but he wasn’t allowed to tell. And when I followed those three into the gardens I heard Harry yelling to Gil. Something about not telling me about I don’t know what. Damn, if I just hid behind that tree I would’ve known.” 

“And you were not planning to tell us,” Carlos slowly said, connecting all of the dots. 

“Look,” Jay softly responded. “I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s something really small, like anchoring their ship in some different place just to annoy Mal.” 

“But what if it’s not?” Jay sighed as Carlos asked the question that had him in conflict the entire day. 

“I just have to trust that Gil will tell me if it’s something incredibly stupid, like planning to overtake Auradon,” Jay answered. 

Carlos was quiet for a moment, thinking it all over. “We need to tell Mal and Evie,” Carlos concluded after a while. “They need to know.” 

“They don’t!” Jay immediately responded. “I’m not going to risk Gil being send back to Isle.”   
“Mal won’t do that. She said so herself.” 

“Yea, because she doesn’t believe the pirates are a threat anymore. But what if she does so again? Mal lied to us before. Like that time when she went to the Isle without telling us. Or keeping from us that they decided to keep the barrier up for good.” 

“Jay, you’re putting entire Auradon in danger,” Carlos said, raising his voice a little. 

“We don’t know that,” Jay immediately replied. “We don’t know what the pirates are up to.” 

Carlos sighed, thinking it over once more. He still shook his head. 

“I am not going to risk losing Gil. So please, not a word about this to anybody.” 

Carlos noticed the pleading look in Jay’s eyes. A slight smile appeared on his face, when he placed his hand on Jay’s shoulder. 

“You should be glad that Dude isn’t here,” Carlos said jokingly. “He would’ve told the others within seconds.” 

“Thanks bro,” Jay responded relieved, also placing his hand on Carlos’s shoulder. Carlos smiled back at his best friend. He trusted Jay and Jay trusted Gil. They would probably be laughing at this within a few days. At the meanwhile Jay stared out of his window and saw the moon high up in the sky. It was almost a full moon, which lit up the night sky. 

Jay wondered once more what Gil was up to, not knowing Gil was looking up at the same moon, thinking about Jay. Around him the other pirates where dancing and cheering again. Gil had a strong urge to join them, but he had to concentrate first. He looked back at the drawing he had made of the castle. He tried to draw the castle entrance as accurate as possible, with its huge wooden doors and all the stone walls. How many walls where there again? 

“I don’t know,” Gil sighed to himself. He added a few more pencil strikes, trying to make his drawing a little bit better. 

Suddenly the piece of paper got snapped out of his hands and Gil looked up in surprise. Of course it was Jonas, the only other crew member of the Lost Revenge who could match with Gil’s strength. He stood before Gil with a smirk on his face, wearing a long red coat and his black braid hanging over his shoulder. 

“What is this?” Jonas smirked. He didn’t even look at the drawing, but just swung it around in front of Gil’s face. 

“That’s my drawing. Can I have it back?” Gil reached out his hand to grab the piece of paper, but wasn’t surprised to see Jonas pulled it back. 

“If you want it, come and get it,” Jonas said with a challenging smirk on his face. Gil didn’t respond, still holding his hand up in the hope Jonas would just give it back to him. 

“Are you not going to fight, Gil?” Two hands pushed Gil in the back. Gil didn’t have to look back to know who it was. He recognized Gonzo’s voice, the guy who was always tackling along in Jonas’s schemes. 

“Guys, come on,” Gil tried with a smile. “I really need that back.” 

Gonzo pushed him again, laughing loudly while doing so. He went to stand besides Jonas, who was still waving the piece of paper around. 

“I still don’t understand why we have someone so unwilling to fight on our ship,” Jonas joked and Gonzo laughed at it. Then Jonas dropped the drawing and Gil saw it slowly falling on the ground. Gil bend forwards, reaching for the paper. Just before he could grab it, Jonas quickly put his foot on it, almost stepping on Gil’s finger. Gil quickly pulling his hand back caused both guys to laugh. 

“If I raise my foot, do you think he will be stupid enough to make a second attempt?” Jonas asked to Gonzo. Gonzo replied with just more laughter. 

Gil tried to think of a right reply, but then looked up relieved when he noticed Harry making his way towards them. It didn’t take long before both Jonas and Gonzo noticed him too. With one sharp look and a little movement of his head he send the two pirates away. He then looked down at Gil who took the chance to grab his drawing and quickly stood up. 

“Uma and I would have a word with you,” Harry said to Gil. 

Gil simply nodded, checking the damage done to his drawing. For the second time it got snatched out of his hands when Harry decided to take a look at it. He kept turning the paper in his hands, tilting his head a little bit. 

“Which side is up exactly?” He said looking at Gil again. Gil carefully turned it for him, but Harry still looked at the drawing with a confused frown on his face. 

“Jonas kind of messed it up by stepping on it,” Gil defended himself. Harry nodded, raising his eyes up a little bit. 

“You know we can just find some photos of the castle online now,” Harry said while giving the drawing back to Gil. A deep frown appeared on Gil’s forehead. He had no idea what Harry was talking about. 

“I’ll explain later,” Harry said. “Right now we have more urgent things to discuss.” Harry gave a little nod towards the door to Uma’s cabin. Gil quickly walked behind him. 

“Finally, what took you guys so long?” Uma complained from behind her desk. 

“Is something wrong?” Gil asked, ignoring Uma’s question. Uma sighed and tried to restrain herself a little. She didn’t want to snap at Gil, knowing he already had an eventful day. 

“You know why we’re here in Auradon, right?” Uma asked directly, but kindly, to Gil. 

“Yea, of course. We’re here to repair the ship,” Gil immediately answered. “You said it yourself. In Auradon we have all the materials we need to repair it. Materials we don’t have on the Isle.” Harry had to smile at the proud look on Gil’s face, happy with himself that he knew the answer. 

“And do you know why we repair the ship?” Uma asked next. Pride disappeared on Gil’s face as he had to think about it. 

“So we can sail the ship again?” He guessed hopefully. 

“So we can finally leave this place and go wherever we want to go,” Uma explained. Gil quickly nodded in agreement. “We can finally roam free and see the world beyond the Isle. So repairing the ship is actually really important. So important that we need all the crew members to invest some time in it.” 

Gil send a quick glance towards Harry. He sat on a chair, playing with his hook and enjoying the show. He wasn’t planning to save Gil out of this. 

“Gil!” Uma sounded strict again, making sure Gil had his eyes on her again. “Stop randomly disappearing. I see you tomorrow morning.” 

Uma turned her attention to the papers that laid on her desk. Gil didn’t move and still stood in front of her. He had an unsure look on his face, while his eyes were rapidly glancing through the room. He seemed unaware of the piece of paper which slowly got crunched in his hands. Harry narrowed his eyes, knowing there was something wrong. 

“You can go,” Uma said, quickly looking up. She didn’t notice the despair Gil was in. 

“Why should we actually leave this place?” Gil suddenly asked. 

“Excuse me?” Uma said confused, forgetting the paperwork on her desk. Harry just sighed annoyed. He had been afraid something like this would happen. 

“They’ve got everything here,” Gil continued. “Trees, flowers, cell phones, fresh food, butterflies. Why should we ever want to leave all that behind?” 

“We are not going back to the Isle,” Harry responded. “We’re going to travel the entire world. I thought that was exactly what you wanted.” Harry held his hook firmly in his hand, sitting straight up and fixing his eyes on Gil. 

Gil wasn’t sure how to respond. He definitely wanted to see the world beyond Auradon. He had been wondering what it all looked like and couldn’t wait to see if his imaginations were close to the real scenery. But somehow he couldn’t imagine exploring the world without Jay anymore. 

“If we plant some kind of tree on the ship, would you come with us?” Uma joked, but Gil barely responded. Uma then faced Harry, who again sat in the chair playing with his hook. It seemed like he already gave up convincing Gil. 

“This isn’t about some tree, is it?” Uma guessed when she had been reading her two boys for a moment. “Or about fresh fruit, or whatever. This is about Jay, isn’t it?” Gil let himself fall against the wooden wall of the cabin, feeling a bit of pain when his head hit the wall as well. 

“I told you guys this morning that I had to tell you something,” Gil said, giving his captain an apologetic glance. A smile already appeared on Uma’s face, understand what this was about. Harry was clearly less pleased with it, staring at some point on the floor. 

“So,” he said, finally putting his hook away. “If we’re going to plant a tree on the ship and I will tie Jay to that tree, than you will come with us.” 

A little chuckle escaped Gil. “Probably,” he joked back. 

Harry got a slight smile as well, glad his little joke made Gil more at ease. Harry finally looked up. Gil had changed since Uma left the Isle, but since the barrier was taken down he changed even more. Maybe one day he would even be standing up for himself. Gil smiled back at his friend, feeling a lot better with the situation. He had been scared they would be mad, knowing Harry didn’t like Jay that much. But at the moment Harry smiled back at him. Not with the confident smirk he usually had, but with a rather warm expression. 

“All good and well,” Uma said, breaking the silence. “But I don’t want any hostages on my ship. Those only bring headaches and problems.” 

“Agree,” Harry said, jumping up and breaking his eye-fucking with Gil. “But we are talking about Gil’s new boyfriend now,” Harry responded. “At least…” Harry turned back towards Gil. His smirk was back. Gil didn’t mind anymore, realizing Harry meant well. 

“He kissed me this morning.” His eyes sparkled while thinking back on it. “In the castle I mean. We wanted to go to the meeting, but he took me to this room and kissed me. I never felt like that before. It was amazing.” Gil paused for a moment, not sure if he should subscribe it differently. 

“Kissing Jay was indeed amazing,” Harry responded, unwillingly reminding himself about the time he still held Jay in his arms. He quickly left his daydream, realizing both Uma and Gil looked at him confused. 

“Jay told me that kissing you was just fine,” Gil responded. 

“What the…?” Uma immediately send her confused glance towards Gil. 

Harry tilted his head slightly, responding with a mischievous smile. “You know from experience that’s not true.” 

“Okay, that’s enough!” Uma quickly stood up, not wanting to continue the topic any further. The smirk on Harry’s face and the look in his eyes let her know he was insulted. 

“Gil,” she continued, focusing her attention on him again. “I’m happy for you. And I’m serious, I really am. But still, quit running off and disappearing every day.” Gil looked straight back at her. He quickly nodded, letting her know he got the message. 

Uma showed him a warm smile, causing Gil to smile back at her. She wasn’t able to be too strict to him, not after she received such delighted news. Uma stood up and walked towards Gil, putting him in an embrace. Gil immediately wrapped both his strong arms around her and held her tightly, forgetting the crumbled drawing in his hand entirely. 

Harry looked at the two from a distance, not sure how to respond. Honestly, he wasn’t happy about it. Not at all. But he couldn’t find the words to say this in a subtle way. He saw Gil looking up to him, stretching one arm towards him, while still holding Uma with the other. Harry was still hesitant when he walked up towards Gil, but then let himself fall into his embrace. Harry buried his face in Gil’s neck, already feeling a little bit better. He would never admit it out loud, but feeling Gil’s arm around his shoulder always made him feel stronger. This time he also had Uma close to him, as Harry softly laid one arm around her shoulder as well. She didn’t just make him feel stronger. She made him feel as if he could take over the world. 

Gil slowly loosened his grip from both his friends and took a step back. 

“Thanks guys,” Gil said softly. “I won’t be slacking off again. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” 

Uma gave him a meaningful smile. Seeing Gil so happy and carefree as he had been the last few days secretly warmed her heart. She couldn’t be really mad at him, but she should never forget she was the captain of this ship. 

“We’ll see you tomorrow. Have a good night’s rest,” Uma greeted him of. Gil nodded one more time before he walked out of the cabin, crumbling the piece of paper in his hand even more. 

Uma still smiled as she looked up at Harry, who clearly wasn’t as pleased as she was. He seemed worried and angry at the same time, clenching his teeth and with tears in his eyes. 

“Are you okay?” She asked softly touching his arm. 

“Why does it have to be Jay?” Harry muffled, trying hard not to yell. “Of all the thousands of possible love interests for him, why did it have to be Jay?” Uma raised her eyebrows towards him. 

“I don’t understand why you have such a problem with him,” Uma said confused.

“Jay will leave him in a heartbeat when he hears about Gaston’s plan,” Harry tried to explain. “Gil is probably too foolish to think about it, but he can’t have both. He cannot have Jay and stay loyal to Gaston. If he tries, they will both turn their back on him.” Uma calmly shrugged, comforting rubbing his shoulder. 

“Then maybe we should reconsider our decision,” Uma suggested. Harry immediately nodded, understanding what Uma referenced to. 

Gil sighed when he was back outside, breathing in the fresh evening air. It felt like a lot of weight had fallen from his shoulders. He realized there was still one problem left. Gil opened his hand and looked down at the crumbled piece of paper in it. Probably just a few more days before his dad would demand for the information he wanted, which meant just a few more days with Jay. Gil tried to flatten the drawing and looked at it for a moment. He had to admit he didn’t even know himself which side was up. Without hesitation Gil teared it up and let the little pieces fall on the deck. He should try to make a new drawing for his dad, but he rather just stared up at the moon, silently wishing he and Jay would soon watch the bright evening sky together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up to be a pretty long chapter. It took me a little longer to write, so I didn’t upload last weekend. I apologize for it. Hopefully this chapter makes it up for it. 
> 
> As always thank you all for reading and supporting the story. Every comment brightens my day.


	19. Chapter 19

Gil couldn’t stop humming to himself the next morning. Together with his mates he collected planks and other materials to repair the broken ship. Uma and Harry were mostly fighting against the water that kept pouring in. They tried to find a way to remove the broken and rotten pieces of wood so that they could be replaced with new ones. But the ship would most likely sink if the hole in the ship would get any bigger.

Gil didn’t interfere with their plans. He wasn’t even paying much attention to his own work. Jay was all he could think about, humming and singing the entire morning, making his crew mates look up in surprise. Uma wasn’t surprised at all. His glowing face warmth her heart, knowing he deserved all the happiness he got. It also broke her heart knowing Harry was right last evening, this happiness could end real quick if things didn’t end well. She didn’t show any of this to Gil and smiled back at him when he looked her way. 

Gil wasn’t tired at all when they all sat back at the deck, enjoying their well-deserved break. Gil immediately grabbed his phone, reading Jay’s very first text message to him. It was a very simple _‘Good morning’_ with a little icon of the sun. Somehow it made Gil smile and he immediately replied, wishing Jay good morning and asking if he had slept well. Gil decided to sit down in the sunlight, happy to feel the warmth on his skin. It was a sunny day again, with no sign that autumn was getting nearer. Gil closed his eyes for a bit, enjoying the soft breeze on his face, when his phone already started buzzing. 

Gil immediately picked it up again, glowing to see that Jay already replied. He had slept well and asked Gil what he was doing this morning. Gil replied happily about the ship and the repairs it had to undergo. He send the text and within seconds got a response. Gil noticed he had to laugh. Texting was something he had to get used to. He wasn’t the best at spelling and his fingers seemed to be too big, which cause him to push the wrong letter again and again. He knew he was making a lot of spelling mistakes, but Jay didn’t seem to mind, still replying seconds after Gil had hit send. Gil clung to the little machine. It was amazing to be able to talk to Jay, even when they were apart. Gil didn’t even notice Harry walking towards him. Harry had to clear his throat before Gil finally looked up. 

“I’ve known you for many years now, but something just happened for the very first time,” Harry said. 

“Yes, I have my first conversation through text,” Gil proclaimed excited. Harry narrowed his eyes for a bit. He didn’t have to guess who was receiving Gil’s messages. 

“Congratulations, but not what I meant. Someone wrote you a letter,” Harry said, showing Gil the envelope. It made Gil forget about his phone and he jumped up. “I have no idea which fish brain would send you a letter, though. You can’t even read.” 

“Yes I can,” Gil responded offended. “I’m texting with Jay right now.” Gil pointed at his phone as if he tried to prove his point. Harry just rolled his eyes, while he already opened the envelope. 

“You really didn’t had to confirm it’s Jay,” Harry said annoyed. 

“The letter is from Jay?” 

Harry stopped opening the letter, just to give Gil an intense stare. “If it is I will rip it up right on the spot,” Harry threatened, making Gil silently nod. 

Harry pulled the letter from the envelope and scanned it quickly. His eyes grew wider for a moment. 

“It’s from your dad,” Harry declared. 

“My dad send me a letter?” Gil’s voice sounded confused, yet hopeful and excited. “Tell me, what does it say?” Harry quickly took a step back, making sure Gil couldn’t snatch it out of his hands. Gil impatiently waited for a response, still trying to sneaky glance over. 

“He wants to meet up,” Harry finally said. 

“When?” Gil immediately responded. Harry looked up from the letter. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Harry said. “He wants information about King Ben and the castle, which we don’t really have.” 

Gil still took the piece of paper out Harry’s hand, quickly reading it as well. A frown appeared on his face, mumbling the words to himself. Harry raised his eyebrows, wondering if Gil would be able to decipher the terrible handwriting in which the letter was written. 

“He wants to meet me at where?” Gil’s frown got possible even deeper as he moved the letter closer to his face. “I don’t know this place.” 

“Dawn,” Harry answered, pleased he was right after all. “He wants to meet you at dawn.” For a second Gil stared at the paper again, when a glimpse of understanding appeared on his face. 

“Later on he says where,” Harry continued. “At the end of the bridge, Auradon side.” 

Gil nodded that he understood. He still seemed proud that he had been able to read the letter. Or at least most of it. “So we got an entire day to gather some information.” 

Harry sighed, taking the paper from Gil again. “Follow me.” 

Gil nodded and followed Harry without question, dogging a few crew mates that were laying around on the deck. Harry didn’t mind them and just gave a quick signal to Uma. She nodded and the three walked into the little cabin of the ship. Inside Harry immediately gave the letter to Uma and she read it quickly. Gil still waited impatiently. He wanted to follow his dad’s instructions as soon as possible, trying to meet up to his expectations. Uma laid the letter on her desk and then leaned against it. 

“Gil,” Uma started, getting the boy’s attention. “Last night Harry and I decided that we won’t side with Gaston.” Gil’s excitement disappeared and instead showed a mix of confusion and fear. 

“What?” Gil slowly said, looking back to Uma. He then glanced over at Harry, searching for some kind of clarification. A crooked smile appeared on Gil’s face as he frowned a little. He didn’t believe he understood it correctly. Harry softly sighed as he walked over to Uma and also leaned against the desk, showing Gil he actually heard and understood it right for once. Gil stood there for a moment, blinking quickly as he stared at his two best friends. 

“This can’t be right,” Gil said after a while. “No one says no to Gaston.” 

Harry rolled his eyes. “And yet we will,” Harry sighed. Before Gil could respond, Harry quickly grabbed the letter from the desk and waved the piece of paper in his hand. “And now that we have this letter, it will be simple. We go back to the castle and hand them the letter. We tell Mal and Ben this is the first thing we heard from this whole taking over Auradon plan. Or we just tell them we didn’t take Junior and Trip serious at first. You know, because Gil can’t lie and is not able to keep secrets either.” Harry stopped for a moment, awaiting if Gil would respond or not. Gil still stood there with a frown on his face. 

“They can put an ambush for Gaston,” Harry continued after a while. “We let them capture Gaston in the morning. And bam, all our problems solved and nobody needs to know.” Uma already nodded in agreement, but Gil’s eyes widened with each word. 

“That’s not fair,” Gil started to object the plan. Uma raised her eyebrows. It sounded like the perfect plan to her. 

“You can’t just lead my dad in an ambush,” Gil continued. 

“Why not?” Harry asked annoyed. 

“He’s my dad. I would betray him if we did this.” 

“You would be betraying him?” Uma asked, raising her eyebrows. “He forced you into this mess. I say it’s his own fault.” 

“You guys don’t understand,” Gil responded, his voice cracking up a bit. “My dad is going to be really mad. No one says no to Gaston.” Harry just rolled with his eyes, hearing the same argument again and again. 

“Besides, my dad will never fall for an ambush,” Gil desperately continued. “I tell you guys, betraying my dad is a bad idea.” 

“So you want us to side with Gaston and help him conquer Auradon?” Harry asked back with this challenging look in his eyes that Gil didn’t like. “Let him kill the old Beast and King Ben? Because let’s be fair, they’re dead meat if Gaston wins. After that he probably forces Belle to marry him. Who knows what will happen with the rest of Auradon. But honestly, why should we even care about all that. We’re his allies. At least… Please tell me again what happened to LeFou after he left Gaston.” 

Gil was lost for words for a moment. He hadn’t really thought about the consequences if his dad would win. In fact he hadn’t thought much about anything else than Jay and the pirate crew. Gil turned his head towards Uma. Her slight smile was compassionate, but her eyes were strict. Harry was right. 

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to betray my dad,” Gil softly responded. 

Uma looked back up at him. She hadn’t seen Gil so determined before. He always just followed his orders, but this time he seemed to refuse to do so. Uma then glanced over at Harry. It was obvious something had been bothering him the past few days. She wasn’t certain what it was, but Gil had definitely something to do with it. Uma decided to step in between, taking charge of the conversation again. 

“Harry and I really thought this through,” Uma said, turning towards Gil. “We realize that with the help of Gaston we could raise an army big enough to overtake Auradon. But we also risk all what we’ve accomplished so far. The barrier is down and we’re finally free. Mal seems to be finally coming around. Honestly, I still don’t trust her, but I don’t trust Gaston either.” 

Harry sneered in the background, making both Uma and Gil look up at him. “Let’s be honest now, we both can’t stand that guy. Or your brothers for that matter.” 

“Harry,” Uma already warned him. From the very start they agreed they would be objective about the matter, leaving Gil’s upbringing out of this. It seemed like Harry was ignoring their agreement, as he pushed himself away from the desk and took a step towards Gil. 

“From the very start they’ve treated you like garbage,” Harry declared, his eyes wide open. “They beat you up, threw you out, kicked you down. And now we should help them?” 

“Harry, that’s enough,” Uma quickly said. Harry send a quick glance towards Uma, but immediately had his eyes set on Gil again. 

“You really believe I didn’t think about it?” Gil softly responded. Harry narrowed his eyes as he noticed the hurtful expression on Gil’s face. He knew it took a lot to actually offend Gil, but he got the feeling he somehow succeeded. “I did think about it. I know my dad always gets what he wants and for once he wants my help. He would never accept it if I would ignore his orders.” 

“I told you, you have a choice here,” Harry said back to him. 

“No, you don’t get it,” Gil answered, raising his voice a little. “If I don’t do this, he will hunt us down. Even if they manage to capture him in an ambush, my dad will find a way. I would bring us all in danger.” 

“So it was inevitable from the start?” Harry answered, raising his voice as well. “Then what about Jay?” Gil went silent again when Harry dropped that name. Uma stood between the two boys, watching them closely. 

“I think that’s more than enough,” Uma said strict to both of them, but mostly Harry. “We will compromise the plan. We won’t go to Gaston’s bidding tomorrow. Not showing up should give him a clear hint which side we’re on, but also gives him a chance to flee back to the Isle. After that we bring the letter to Mal and tell her about Gaston’s plan.” The infuriated look on Harry’s face let her own he didn’t agree with the plan. It probably didn’t take long before he would explode. 

“My dad should never learn about Jay and our relationship,” Gil suddenly responded to Harry, ignoring Uma altogether. He hadn’t been listening to Uma at all. His mind was drifting far away to the guy that had changed his world completely the last couple of weeks. 

“So we’re going to break his heart then? I’m all for it, honestly,” Harry responded uncompassionately. 

A deep frown appeared on Uma’s face as she noticed they both ignored her suggestion completely. It was all about Jay again, she should’ve known. 

“Then I have just one more question for you,” Harry said, taking another step towards Gil. 

Uma quickly put her hand on his chest, making him stop in his trace. He didn’t look down at her, even though he was well aware of her hand on his chest and how close she was. It made him hesitate for a moment. But having her so close also made him feel even more distant. 

“Why did you do it?” Harry sneered to Gil. “I told you to keep your distance from Jay. But no. Somehow you felt the need to get all lovey-dovey spring time with him.” 

“I never meant to do this,” Gil defended himself. “I never meant to kiss him. It just happened.” Harry already shook his head and snorted in disbelief. 

“I thought about that too, you know,” Gil continued. “How my dad would disapprove of it. How I turned out just like him by forcing myself on Jay. But you know, when I told Jay he said that he wanted it to happen again. So it happened again. I never meant to. I just wanted to spend some time with him as long as we could. You know, before we would turn into enemies again.” 

“Yes, and now you’ve turned it into a bigger mess than it ever had to be,” Harry suddenly yelled up to him. “Because of it both you and Jay are in bigger danger than you needed to be.”

Uma pushed Harry back again, growling his name. It wasn’t uncommon for Harry to suddenly start yelling, but it was very unusual for him to talk to Gil like that. Gil didn’t even step back. His eyes were just filled with guilt. 

“I know I messed up,” Gil softly responded. “It just felt so right with him. I could finally be myself, you know. Being here. Just being here with Jay is the best thing that has ever happened to me.” 

Harry swore he could feel a knife penetrating his heart when hearing Gil’s words. For a moment he just stared at this person who stood opposite of him. This guy that he had known since they were kids. He swallowed the lump in his throat, while pushing back the tears. He then walked up to Gil, abandoning Uma’s touch. He moved closer to him, until their faces were just a few inches away from each other. “Let me tell you something, Gil. Things like that never ‘just happen’.” 

For a moment Harry finally looked back at Uma. As if he just noticed she was there as well. Before she could respond Harry turned around and stormed out of the cabin, slamming the door behind him. 

Gil stood there, his eyes wide, staring at the door in which Harry just disappeared. He didn’t understand. When Harry was mad at him, he usually send him away to get some time out. It was never Harry himself that left, definitely not in that manner. Gil tried to follow him, but he stopped as he felt how Uma grabbed his arm. 

“Let him cool down for a little bit,” Uma ordered him. “Harry won’t be mad for long, you know how he is.”

Uma let go of his arm and went to sit behind her desk. Her composed expression worked calming on Gil as he softly breathed out. Deep down Uma was worried. Something was definitely bottling up in Harry and she didn’t like it. She could also see the miserable expression on Gil’s face. She assumed there was still a war going on in his head. 

“Come over here,” Uma said softly. Gil looked up at her and slowly took a few steps towards her desk. “I heard you, but it didn’t change my mind. We’re still saying no to Gaston, whatever his rule on that might be.” Gil nodded slowly, he got his orders. “Now tell the others their break is over. The ship will never be ready when they’re just laying around on deck all day.” 

Gil nodded again. He turned around and just walked out of the cabin. A bright sunlight greeted him immediately, but for Gil the sky seemed grey. He looked around, but he couldn’t find Harry anywhere. It was probably best to follow Uma’s orders and just go back to work. Gil first grabbed his phone from his pocket to read Jay’s latest text. 

_“You’re free tonight? There’ll be a full moon.”_ Followed by a little icon off a moon.

For a moment Gil just stood there with his phone in his hand. It wasn’t just because it took him awhile before he understood Jay’s text, but also because he had no idea how to respond. Gil knew he should say no to Jay’s invitation, knowing it wouldn’t improve the situation they were already in. But then he realized this could be their last time together before turning into enemies again. Gil couldn’t risk to throw away their last chance to be together. He slowly typed his response, even though it was just three letters long. 

_“Yes!”_


	20. Chapter 20

It was already late. Gil looked up at the beautiful stars and the indeed full moon in the sky. Just a little longer and he would be with Jay again. They said they would meet up at Evie’s 4 Hearts, since the cottage wasn’t so far away from the Enchanted Lake. It was already quiet on the pirate ship. The hard labour of the day made sure no one of the pirates felt like partying this night. Gil walked up towards Uma’s cabin and softly knocked on the door. 

“Yes!” Uma’s voice sounded hopeful, but her shoulders quickly dropped when she saw Gil coming in. “Should’ve known it was you. Harry never knocks.” 

“He still didn’t come back,” Gil confirmed. 

“He’s not picking up his phone either,” Uma said and checked her phone to make sure. She sighed as she dropped the phone on her desk. 

“Are you doing alright?” Uma asked to Gil, guessing he was also worried about Harry and about his dad. 

“Yes, I’m alright,” Gil answered, but he already had that look on his face. That unsure, sad puppy look when he knew he had done something bad. Uma just stared back at him, preparing herself for the worst. Her slowly raising her eyebrows made Gil know he was allowed to speak up. 

“I wanted to ask if it’s okay to meet up with Jay tonight,” Gil carefully asked. Uma buried her face in her hands as response. 

“Does he even want you there at this time?” she asked, her voice muffled by her hands. She looked back up when she didn’t immediately get a response from Gil. 

“We already set a time and place,” Gil confessed and made Uma sigh out loud. She just stared disapproving at him for a few seconds, until she thought that even Gil got the hint. 

“Go,” she finally said. She had to hide her smile as she saw how Gil’s face lit up. Seeing him happy did more to her than she would admit. She refused to believe that it all would end the next day. Such short happiness seemed unnecessary cruel to her.

“You know, I wanted to sneak out scared that you would say no. But now I’m glad I asked for permission first,” Gil blurted out.

“Well, I’m glad you decided to take orders again,” Uma said offended. “But you know you have to be careful, right? Make sure to look out for your dad and your brothers. Who know where they’re at.” Gil nodded in response. He made sure he was careful. Last thing he wanted was for his brothers to find him together with Jay. 

“And don’t worry too much about Harry,” Uma continued. “He’ll be back by tomorrow.” 

“What if he gets caught by my dad?” Gil asked out loud.

“Gil,” Uma said slowly. “I could still send the letter to Mal tonight to make sure they set an ambush for Gaston.” Gil already shook his head. 

“I have to try at least once before giving up,” Gil said more to himself than Uma. 

It made Uma frown for a moment, trying to understand what Gil meant. “I understand he’s your dad and you want to do right by him,” she said to him. “I still think about my mom, trying to do right by her. Even though she already left and is swimming somewhere in the sea by now. Didn’t even bother to say goodbye.” 

Uma stopped for a moment. Because her mom didn’t care about her, didn’t mean Uma didn’t care about her mom. Uma shook her head and ignored the pitiful look on Gil’s face. She didn’t need pity from anyone. 

“Anyway,” Uma continued. “I just need you to know that you don’t own Gaston anything. You’re with us now.” A smiled appeared back on Gil’s face. He wouldn’t forget anymore. 

“Thank you,” Gil mumbled back. Then a frown appeared back on his face as a sudden thought raised up in him. “Am I allowed to tell Jay about my dad’s plan by now? You know, because we’re going to tell Mal anyway.” 

Uma already nodded. “Might even be best if he hears it from you,” she answered. 

Gil nodded in response, but Uma noticed how he also already glanced at the door. He wanted to leave, as he impatiently waited for permission to do so. A mischievous grin appeared on Uma’s face. 

“One last thing,” she said, enjoying how Gil looked impatiently back at her. She waited an extra few seconds, noticing how Gil kept glancing at the door a couple times. “Have fun tonight.” The same bright smile appeared on Gil’s face. 

“We will,” he said back to her. He waved at her and then quickly left the cabin, not willing to wait any longer to see Jay. Uma didn’t hide her heartwarming smile anymore. They should all enjoy these moments as long as they lasted. 

Gil felt like running the moment he jumped of the boat and felt the more steady underground of the wooden pier. The full moon provided enough light for him to see clear. Gil still had to restrain himself to run too fast. Otherwise he knew he was likely to trip and fall into the water. After the pier the paths were secure and the lanterns on both side of the road showed him the way. Gil ran as fast as he could through the empty, illuminated streets. 

He ran as if his brothers were following him. He then took the little path that would lead to Evie’s cottage. There were less lanterns there, but Gil didn’t slow down. He could almost feel how he escaped from all the threats his dad made on him. With every step tomorrow seemed further away. Gil could see the light of the house in the distance, increasing his speed even though he was already out of breath. No one could catch him anymore, he was almost there. 

Gil finally ran on the little terrace and bumped into the table standing there. One of the chairs stumbled on the ground and Gil let himself fall on the stone walls of the house. He looked around him, making entirely sure nobody had followed him. He leaned with his back against the house, trying to get his breathing under control. 

He slowly became more at ease. It looked different than he remembered. Probably because it was the first time he saw it in the dark. It was still just as beautiful, with all the colourful plants surrounding the little area. The moon gave all the leaves a shining silver glow. Gil then looked over at the orange bolls hanging in a miniature tree. Tangerines they were called, a name Gil would never forget again. Gil remembered how Jay surprised him with one of those the first time he got here. He softly smiled at the memory as he already felt how all his fears and doubts disappeared. His breathing got steady and his heart beat went down as well. He was save here. 

Suddenly the door swung open and Gil pinned himself to the wall again. Jay stepped outside and immediately closed the door behind him. It didn’t take long before he noticed the shadow on the wall. One he immediately recognized, even in the dark. A chuckle escaped him, making Gil frown and relax at the same time. 

“I knew it was you,” Jay silently greeted Gil. “We heard a noise coming from outside. Evie and Carlos are still debating whether it was a racoon or just the wind.” 

Jay’s laughter worked contagious, since it made Gil smile with him within a few seconds. Gil couldn’t help it again, being with Jay always made him smile. 

“Let’s go,” Jay said and was already leaving the property. “Before Evie comes looking for the racoon who is stealing her fruit.” 

“I didn’t steal anything,” Gil said back to him. “I just…” Gil tripped over the chair that had fallen earlier. Jay quickly turned around and caught him just in time before he would hit the ground. A muffled laughter escaping him again. 

“They definitely heard that,” Jay said, pulling Gil back on his feet. “Let’s bounce.” 

Gil still took the time to pick the chair back up and place it besides a table again. He then quickly followed Jay through the garden. 

Jay turned around. Gil could finally see his face clearly in the bright moonlight. Jay was still laughing at him, but Gil didn’t mind at all. He would trip over a hundred chairs if that meant he could hear that laughter. 

“I missed you,” Gil said back. He didn’t mean to say it out loud. Maybe he shouldn’t have said it, but for the moment it felt save to do so. 

“It’s just been a day,” Jay said back to him, still a smile on his face. 

“Yea, I know. It feels much longer than that,” Gil answered. He felt stupid again. Maybe it wasn’t the right time to say things like that. But then Jay walked up to him. His eyes were finally adjusting to the dark, seeing Gil’s facial features clearly. He had been missing him too. Since the moment they had left that random room in the castle, he had been longing for his warmth again. 

Jay let their noses touch first, cautiously craving for more. For a split second a little voice in Gil’s head said he should step back, but once again Gil just let it happen when Jay kissed him. Gil could feel his heart racing again, as he got the same rush over him as when he was running towards the cottage. He laid his hand on Jay’s cheek, eagerly kissing him back. Not his dad, nor Harry or anyone else in the world could tell him that this was wrong. Nothing in his life had felt so right to him than holding this other guy close. Jay broke the kiss, but stayed close to Gil, smiling up to him for a moment. 

“Let’s go,” Jay softly whispered. “Before they take back what we took.” 

“I told you, I didn’t steal anything,” Gil said back to him. 

A mischievous grin appeared on Jay’s face when he showed his hands, holding a tangerine in each. Gil blinked his eyes in confusion. He turned around to the cottage for a second, wondering how Jay had been able to plucked two tangerines from the trees without him noticing it. 

“Wow, you’re good,” Gil said admiring. 

“Didn’t lose my touch,” Jay grinned when he threw one of the tangerines towards Gil. 

Gil caught it and rolled it in his hands. He followed Jay into the dark forest as he started peeling the orange fruit. He finally got the first piece. It was just as sweet and juicy as he remembered. 

“Is it actually far?” Gil asked, just before he put the second piece in his mouth. 

“Ten minute walk, I guess,” Jay answered with his mouth full. 

Gil walked up close to Jay, their shoulders almost touching. He wanted to enjoy every moment of this night. It was already perfect as they walked together in the dark, while the moon illuminated the path before them. It was quiet around them, with just the sounds of their footsteps and the rustling of the leaves when there was a small breeze passing by. 

Gil enjoyed the silence, while he happily ate his fruit. Knowing Jay had taken it because he knew how much Gil loved tangerines, made it even sweeter. Gil put the last piece in his mouth. He wished he could go back, getting himself another one. He walked even closer to Jay for a moment, bowing towards him to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“Thank you,” Gil said as he continued their walk. Jay stopped, making Gil stop in his trace as well. 

“For what?” Jay responded. 

“For the treat,” Gil answered, pointing at the last pieces Jay was holding in his hand. 

“Oh,” Jay slowly said as a grin appeared on his face again. He took his last two pieces as he reached one of them towards Gil. 

“No, that one is yours,” Gil protested. 

“I already had hundreds of these,” Jay said back. “How many did you have? Three? Maybe four? You deserve it more than I do.” 

Gil thought about it for a moment, but then took the orange piece from Jay. He didn’t immediately ate it, but first bowed towards Jay again, giving him a soft kiss on the mouth. “Thank you.” 

Jay smiled again as he watched how Gil enjoyed his last piece of tangerine. He grabbed Gil’s hand, continuing their walk. He didn’t mind at all sharing his food with Gil, definitely not if he received such a thank you every time he did so. He could feel how Gil softly squeezed in his hand, letting their shoulders touch regularly. Jay knew they were almost at their destination, secretly wishing they could walk like this for a little longer. On the other hand he always loved to see the exciting glance in Gil’s eyes every time he discovered something new. One thing was certain, he would be here with him as long as Gil wanted him to. 

Gil quickly glanced at Jay who was still walking beside him. He knew he should be telling Jay about his dad’s plan. He wanted to tell him from the beginning, hating it that he had to hide something from Jay. But doing so would probably ruin this wonderful, peaceful moment. Jay’s hand fitted perfectly in his, he couldn’t risk Jay pulling his hand away. He didn’t want this amazing feeling to end. Not yet. Maybe tomorrow, but just not yet. Gil squeezed in Jay’s hand and felt how Jay walked closer to him in response. Jay glanced over to him, just a shadow in the dark, but still so handsome. Gil refused to let it end. No, not yet.


	21. Chapter 21

“We’re almost there,” Jay said, breaking the peaceful silence while he and Gil still walked hand in hand. “Just around the corner.” 

Gil looked up in excitement. He had been longing to see the Enchanted Lake for a while now. He just knew it would be just as wonderful as the last two places they had been to. And indeed it was. The trees parted and a beautiful lake appeared in front of them, a dark blue with a welcoming silver glistering of the moonlight. The lake surrounded a little hill, which appeared as a dark shadow in front of the clear blue sky. From the hill fell a mythical waterfall, which reflected the silver light of the moon and rushed down in the lake. Thousands stars and a bright full moon shone above them, making the scenery even more magical.

“Wow,” Gil slowly said to himself. “I’ve never seen so many stars before.” 

“You want a closer look?” Jay asked, making Gil turn towards him. 

“Are we going to climb a mountain again?” Gil asked, already having a excited ring in his voice. 

“I wouldn’t call this a mountain,” Jay answered. He held Gil’s hand even tighter, leading him towards the hill. “But yes, it’s a little climb to the top.” 

Together they took the first steps uphill, careful not to trip in the dark. The path became less steep when they entered a little cave. Darkness welcomed them when they were surrounded by the rocks of the hill. To their right fell the waterfall, to which a little bit of light shone through. Gil realised they walked directly underneath the rushing water, with only the rocks above them that saved them for getting wet. Gil let his hand run through the falling water, making his glove entirely wet in the process. The water was cool, but not yet cold. 

“Watch your steps,” Jay warned in front of him. “Stones can get slippery here.” 

“I can’t see a thing, honestly,” Gil said, searching his way in the dark. The only thing he was able to see was the falling water at his side. 

Gil still held Jay’s hand, making sure they wouldn’t get separated. Jay led the way, walking slowly while searching their way in the dark by touching the moist wall of the cave. He had been here in the dark before, but it was still hard to navigate at this part. They indeed didn’t see anything, except for the gliding water on their right. Fortunately the cave was high enough, so they didn’t need to be afraid to bump their heads. However, they had to be careful not to slip over any wet stones underneath their feet. 

“We’re going for a little climb up ahead,” Jay instructed Gil. “Don’t worry, it won’t be as rough as the last one.” 

“I’m not worried,” Gil said back to him. “I just hope you won’t completely go out of breath like last time.” Jay could hear the genuine concern in Gil’s voice, but he still felt offended. 

“Last time I was unprepared,” he defended himself. “And besides, I still made it.” 

“Barely,” Gil immediately said back. “I didn’t notice until you laid down on the top, though. I honestly expected you to be tougher than that.” 

Jay suddenly stood still, causing Gil to bump into him. 

“Why did we stop?” Gil asked, not able to see the offended glance on Jay’s face. Jay took his chance and with a quick movement splashed water in Gil’s face. Jay could hear Gil snorting in response. 

“That’s what you get,” Jay said strict. 

“For what?” Gil asked, whipping his face off with his wet glove. Jay blinked with his eyes in confusion. Gil spoke as if he really wondered why he deserved the punishment. 

“You made it sound like you think I’m weak,” Jay explained. 

“What? No, that’s not what I meant at all?” 

“You didn’t?” 

“Of course not. Why would I think you’re weak? That’s more something my dad would say.” Gil silenced himself with his own words, suddenly being reminded about his dad and their appointment the next day. 

“You can splash me back then,” Jay said, dragging Gil away from his thoughts. 

“What?” Gil answered, clearly confused by Jay’s words. 

“You can splash me back,” Jay repeated. “If you say you didn’t mean to offend me. You still choose your words very poorly, though.” 

It went silent again, only the rushing water and the splash at the end of the waterfall could be heard. Gil didn’t want to get back at Jay, didn’t feel the need to do so. He just wanted him close again. Gil slowly reached towards Jay, careful exploring the dark until he found Jay’s face. Suddenly Jay squealed, quickly hitting Gil’s hand away from his face. It took a while before Gil realized what had happened. 

“I’m sorry, I totally forgot my glove is drenched,” Gil quickly apologized. 

“You really expect me to believe that?” Jay said. Gil was glad to hear a little chuckle in Jay’s voice. He wasn’t mad at him, at least. “You definitely got me there. I didn’t expect that.” 

“Believe me, I didn’t intend to get back at you,” Gil continued pleading. 

“Of course not,” Jay said sarcastically. He splashed some more water in Gil’s face. “There! Didn’t mean for that to happen either.” 

For a moment Gil just stood there, not even bothering to wipe the water from his face. It took him a few seconds to realize Jay was challenging him, but totally different than he was used to. His brothers were always challenging him, mostly intending to really hurt him. Shoving him aside, calling him names, pushing him down if he wasn’t able to do a certain thing. On the pirate crew it had been the same story, humiliating and provoking him. At least they wouldn’t go so far as beating him up. This time it was just a little splash of water in his face. 

Gil could feel how Jay pulled on his arm, still holding his hand. They were going to continue their way. Gil was confused once more, trying to comprehend why Jay gave up so easily. Gil let his hand run underneath the stream of water again. He made a little bowl of his hand, to detain as much water as possible. With a quick movement Gil threw the water over Jay. Gil could hear Jay cursing and he turned around immediately. Gil stood still, unsure about what would happen next. 

“That was an accident too?” Jay joked in the dark. Gil smiled relieved as he heard the little chuckle in his voice once more. 

“Yes, it was?” Gil answered as truthful as he could. This time he could see Jay’s hand reaching for the waterfall. Gil decided to block it with his arm, making the splashing water miss its target. Gil tried to get back at him for real this time. It didn’t take long before the two boys were splashing water in each other face and trying to block the other. 

Jay wanted to be smart, maneuvering his body closer to the waterfall so that Gil wouldn’t be able to reach the water anymore. For a split second he forgot the slippery stones underneath his feet, an underground he wasn’t used to. Gil could feel Jay slipping away and he quickly pulled on Jay’s hand. He let himself fall against the rocky wall as Jay fell into his arms. His wet glove once more on Jay’s face, but this time Jay didn’t push it away. Gil found Jay’s lips in the dark and softly kissed him. 

“See? This is what I meant to do,” Gil said softly, carefully striking his fingers through Jay’s hair. Gil swear he could feel Jay smiling up to him as he made their noses touch again. 

“I believe you,” Jay softly spoke to him and kissed him back. 

_‘There he was again,’_ Jay thought when he was softly kissing Gil. He only had to hold that hand and he wouldn’t fall down anymore. Gil would always pull him right back on his feet again. 

Jay parted from their kiss, playfully pushing himself away from Gil. He couldn’t get the grin of his face while they continued their way, the grasps on their hands even tighter than before. Jay could see the light at the end of the tunnel and for a moment was blinded by the bright moonlight. He turned around and saw Gil blinking his eyes as well. They finally could look at each other again. Gil could see the bright smile on the other boy’s face, a few strains of hair out of place due to their little playfight. 

Jay let go of his hand for a moment, just so he could climb over a few stones. Gil followed him, noticing how the stars shone even brighter when they reached the top. The hill was indeed not as high, considering the top of the hill had about the same height as the swaying trees around it. Gil looked to the sky, realizing it was impossible to count all the little lighting dots. He’d heard there were countless stars, he’d just never seen them before. 

For a moment Jay gazed upon Gil once more. He was beautiful in the moonlight, even though sunshine still fit him better. Then again, Jay had to admit, every kind of light would probably look beautiful on Gil. Because it wasn’t the light, but his undying wonder and that blissful smile on his face that made him so wonderful to look at. Jay sighed happily, before deciding he would lay down on the rocky surface of the hill. He knew his neck would start to hurt when he looked up at the stars while standing up. 

“I’ve never seen the stars so bright before,” Gil said, taking it all in. He followed Jay’s example and laid flat on the mountain top, folding his arms underneath his head. 

“I know, it’s beautiful,” Jay said, while laying besides Gil. “It’s because we’re far away from other sources of light, like houses. The stars are better visible then.” 

“Really?” Gil responded beside him. “I thought it was because we sit on a mountain. I mean, the closer you get, the better you see things, right?”  
“I don’t think that rule applies on stars,” Jay said chuckling. “They’re so far away that such small distance like this hill won’t matter that much.” 

Gil frowned towards the stars above him, suddenly wondering how far away they were. “I don’t know,” he concluded out loud. “I just know they’re so much more beautiful than back on the Isle. I barely saw any stars there, always the same dark clouds hanging over the island.” 

Jay glanced over to Gil. He didn’t look sad when talking about the Isle, but there was still this saddening undertone in his voice. 

“Hey Jay, what would be the best spot to look at the stars?” Gil suddenly asked. All the sadness had disappeared again, as Gil looked back at Jay with this exciting glance in his eyes. Jay had to wake himself from the trance Gil had put him in. 

“I heard stars are best seen in the middle of the desert,” Jay answered the question after a while. “First of all the sky is very clear there. Not a single cloud in the sky. And secondly, there isn’t another source of light in miles.” 

Gil smiled up to the stars again, just happy to listen to Jay’s voice. 

“The desert,” Gil softly repeated for himself. “That’s the really hot place with just sand, right?” 

“It is,” Jay answered. 

“Have you ever seen it?” 

“Actually no,” Jay answered, while his thoughts slowly drifted away. “Even though I’m from there.” 

Gil turned towards him again, a deep frown on his face. “You come from the desert, but you’ve never seen it?” 

Jay laughed softly at Gil’s misconception. He’d always had to be careful with his words when Gil was around. 

“I come from Agrabah,” Jay explained to him. “Well actually, that’s where my dad comes from. It’s an amazing city in the middle of the desert. Or at least that’s what I’m told. Like I said, never been there myself.” 

“It sounds amazing,” Gil said, smiling towards the stars again. “I bet the sand is also a lot better to lay on than these rocks.” Jay laughed as he watched Gil stretched his body and sat upright again. 

“Hey, we should go there,” Gil said enthusiastic, softly hitting Jay against his leg. 

“What?” 

“You know, after we explore the jungle and the icebergs. We should go to the desert as well. Oh man, there are so many things we could do in this… What did you call it? Gap year? Yea, gap year!” Gil smiled down on him, while Jay blinked back at him. He went to sit upright too, while a million thoughts ran through his mind. 

“Actually, I already had plans to go to Sherwood Forest,” Jay answered. “After graduating I will be leaving to an university there to train to be a professional tourney player.” 

“Oh,” Gil softly responded. He looked away for a moment, staring at his hands, before he turned to Jay again. “But we’re still going to see the jungles and the icebergs, right? We have to see those penguins.” 

Jay had to smile again at Gil’s enthusiasm. He wanted to say yes, jumping head first in this crazy adventure with him. He remembered the day when the barrier had broken down. How happy he was Gil had returned. It was an euphoria that had come rushing over him. Back then he didn’t understand, in the meantime he figured he probably had already fallen in love with him. It was in that heat of the moment when he suggested to do a gap year, so he and Gil could explore the world together. He had loved it how happily, without even a second thought, Gil had accepted his invitation. It had been a heat of the moment thing, but apparently not for Gil, as he looked at Jay with the same excitement he had on that particular day. 

Jay stared back at the stars for a moment. He hadn’t even given it much thought since that day. Maybe he should’ve, but it just sounded like a dream to begin with. Not really useful to put too much thought into a daydream. 

“Jay?” Gil’s voice made Jay turn back towards him. His enthusiasm had changed in this saddened glance all over his face. His eyes even a little hurt, scared that Jay’s hesitation was a rejection. 

But Jay wanted to go. He wanted to stay with Gil and see the same wonder in his eyes. He wanted to see Gil’s smile when he saw his first penguin or how proud Gil would be to climb in the tallest tree and tame the wildest river in the jungle. He wanted to see it all and he wanted to hold Gil’s hand through it all. Holding him close and kissing him on every occasion. Now that he had him, he didn’t ever want to let him go. Besides that, Jay couldn’t stand the sad glance in Gil’s eyes. It didn’t suit him. Jay came closer and was glad that Gil still let him kiss him. Jay softly touched his shoulder, finally finding an answer. 

“I have to make a few arrangements first,” Jay said softly. 

“I know,” Gil answered. “You have to graduate first.” 

Jay smiled up to him, glad Gil understood. He couldn’t tell Gil yet he may had to graduate from college first too. And after that focusing on his tourney carrier, leaving their little daydream behind. It still felt strange to Jay that somehow this little daydream seemed more important than his goal to become a professional tourney player.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first part of a much larger chapter. In the end I decided to split the chapter in two, because I don’t want my chapters to be too long. Second part will be uploaded within a few days. 
> 
> The information about Jay wanting to go to Sherwood University comes from a deleted scene from Descendants 3. During the scene Jay says he wants to go there because their tourney team is really good. Knowing Jay already had these plans it’s kind of strange that he suddenly wants to add a gap year to explore the world with Gil. But we all know why Jay suddenly changed his mind.


	22. Chapter 22

There was a peaceful silence as the two boys sat on the hill top and looked up at the stars together. Jay was relieved his hesitation to travel the world with Gil didn’t ruin the mood. It was actually just as before. The two of them being comfortable around each other, no longer fearing a rejection. Being able to kiss him, feeling how he gladly kissed him back, created a brilliant atmosphere every time they did so. Jay smiled up to Gil, who was still watching the millions of little star lights in the sky. 

“How about we go for a swim?” Jay suggested, making Gil frown to him. He had been lost in his own thoughts for a moment, so he wasn’t sure if he heard it correctly. 

“You can swim, right?” Jay asked. 

“Uh yes, of course I can swim,” Gil answered offended. “I’m a pirate.” 

Jay chuckled, already standing up to undress himself. “Just checking,” he said, taking of his jacket. He pulled off his t-shirt and threw it on the ground besides his jacket. "Because you know, Mal still can’t swim. Or at least, very badly.” 

Gil wasn’t paying attention to Jay’s words anymore. He just stared at him, while Jay removed one of his boots and threw it on top of his shirt. It was then that Jay caught Gil’s glance, letting his eyes glide over his entire body. Most people would’ve quickly looked away, but Gil was still checking him out with a little smile on his face. Jay started to feel a little uncomfortable, not sure if he should say something about it or not. 

“I had no idea you were so muscular,” Gil said, breaking the tension. “I mean, I should’ve known. I’ve watched you on the tourney field. But you’re seriously hot.” 

It was actually Jay that looked away, hoping Gil wouldn’t notice the slight blush that definitely appeared on his cheeks. Gil stood up, starting to undress as well. Jay tried not to stare, reminding himself they were just going for a swim. Two dudes undressing together so they could jump into the water. Nothing special about it. 

Jay could still feel Gil’s eyes glaring down on him as he removed his other boots and ultimately his pants, till he was only wearing his boxer briefs. Jay glanced over at Gil, who was also almost fully undressed. He quickly looked away again, but he immediately shook his head. If Gil was allowed to check him out so shamelessly, than he could too. Besides that, he was with his boyfriend now. It wasn’t like he was in the locker room with his sport mates. 

Jay looked at him, just when Gil removed the bandana on his head and his long blond hair fell over his shoulders. He was just as muscular as Jay imagined he would be. He let his eyes glide down over the beautiful build shoulders to his chest area and then to the abs that covered his stomach. His skin looked smooth and soft, not covered with hair as Gaston wanted them to believe. Gil brushed his fingers through his hair, making Jay look up at his face again. His hair, slightly curled, fell perfectly on his shoulder. The moonlight gave it all a magical silver glow, which made his body appear even stronger. Jay couldn’t help but wonder what his hair would look like in the sunlight. Gil looked amazing in the moonlight, but he just knew sunshine suited him even better. Jay noticed how Gil smiled up to him. A slight, heartwarming smile that Jay loved so much. 

Jay felt like he was frozen, but Gil appeared if as he wasn’t aware of it at all. As if he really didn’t comprehend what was happening between them. Jay slowly walked up to Gil. He told himself he didn’t have to hesitate anymore. He was allowed to touch him, to hold him, to let his fingers brush through his hair. It still felt like he was crossing a line, when he placed his hand on Gil’s bare chest. He could feel the racing heartbeat of the other boy underneath his hand. Jay had to chuckle for a bit. So Gil was just as nervous as him. Gil ran his fingers through Jay’s long, dark hair, for once not wearing his gloves. It was nice feeling Jay’s soft hair on the palm of his hand. He swore he could feel Jay’s body heat on his own skin, which banned the cold breeze that surrounded them. 

Jay bend in for a kiss, letting his other hand glide over Gil’s muscular shoulder. Strong and firm, but also soft and warm. His other hand was still on Gil’s chest, feeling how his rapid heartbeat even fastened. Gil eagerly kissed him back, pressing their bodies together and still playing with Jay’s hair. They broke their kiss and Gil opened his eyes again, gazing on Jay once more. Starlight lit up his eyes, making his smile even more charming than it ever was before. Gil quickly took a step backwards, suddenly aware of a certain change in his body. For a second Gil was afraid that Jay would be mad at him, but Jay just nervously shook his head. They both had to cool off. 

“Let’s go for a swim,” Jay said, removing his hand from Gil’s chest. 

“Yea,” Gil simply answered, his voice a little higher pitched than it usually was. 

Jay shook his head once more, before he stared down, into the darkness where the water should be. He knew he would be fine, making this jump for the hundredth time. Gil looked down as well, being more uncertain than Jay. He could hear the waterfall and he had seen the lake, but on top of the mountain he only saw a dark blackness of nothing. He looked up at Jay again. 

“Are you sure?” Gil asked, pointing down. Jay laughed, taking a few steps backwards already. 

“Watch me,” he said. He then took a little sprint before he jumped off the hill and into the darkness. For a moment Gil could feel fear raising inside him, just before he heard a clear splash, followed by a loud yell. 

“COLD!” 

Gil laughed at it, glad Jay was alright. “Alright, I’m coming!” Gil yelled back. 

He followed Jay’s example, taking a short run-up before he jumped off the cliff. The rush of falling down was exhilarating, hearing the loud whistling of the wind and the rushing sound of the waterfall. The trees flashed before his eyes before he suddenly fell into the cold rush of the water, making his body paralyzed for just a second. He pushed himself to the surface again, gasping for air when his head came above water. 

“It’s cold!” Gil said. 

“Yes, I warned you,” Jay chuckled. 

Gil looked around him, trying to grasp where Jay’s voice was coming from. His eyes had to adjust to the darkness. It had been a lot brighter when they were on top of the mountain, but the trees were blocking a lot of moonlight back down at the lake. It didn’t take long before Gil could see a shadow swimming towards him, splashing the water around him. He recognized it was Jay when he grasped his shoulder and clumsily placed a kiss on his eye. Jay then promptly groped his face in the dark. 

“Why are you poking me in the eye?” Gil asked, trying to move his head away from the unpleasant touch. 

“Sorry, I was wondering what it was,” Jay said, a little laughter escaping him. Jay moved closer, this time carefully placing a kiss on his eye. 

It was better, but still unpleasant, Gil had to admit. He tried to reach for Jay as well, but it was hard enough to keep his head above water. Definitely while Jay was clinging to him, having his legs wrapped around Gil’s waist and not helping at all with keeping them afloat. Jay still let his hand run over Gil’s face, finally finding his lips and softly kissing them. Gil wanted to kiss him back, but he was too busy not to drown. 

“I thought you could swim,” Jay teased him, breaking the kiss. 

“I can, but you’re pushing me under,” Gil complained. Jay laughed, pushing himself away from Gil. Gil could see the grin on the other boy’s face clearly again. His dark, wet hair surrounding his face, floating on the water around him. 

“You know, you can just tell me if I’m too much for you,” Jay said jokingly. He had this challenging look on his face again. 

A mischievous glimpse appeared on Gil’s face, even though it was too dark for Jay too see it. With a quick move, Gil splashed as much water as he could in Jay’s direction. It definitely took Jay by surprise, as he tried to remove all the water from his eyes. 

“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” Gil lied, making Jay look back up at him. For a moment Jay just looked at his boyfriend, not sure if Gil was messing with him or not. He didn’t want to make the same mistake again, getting back at him while Gil genuinely tried to do something nice. He then heard Gil’s laughter. Gil had be messing with him. 

Jay jumped back on Gil, pushing them bother underneath the water. Gil wasn’t surprised at all, he had been waiting for it. He was quick to push himself back to surface, ready to splash some more water in Jay’s face the moment he would show himself. Jay was however smarter than him, diving underneath Gil and ending up behind him. He jumped on his back, this time taking Gil by surprised. Gil still managed to grab Jay’s arm, using Jay’s strength against himself and threw Jay over his head back in the water. 

“Wow!” Jay cheered when he came back up. “Let’s do that again!” 

“I’m not even sure what I did,” Gil said laughing. Jay thought for a moment, but then an idea popped up in his head. 

“I’m going to stand on the bottom of the lake,” Jay explained. “You’re going to stand on my shoulders and I’ll launch you out of the water.” 

“All right, let’s do it!” Gil shouted happily. Jay laughed at Gil’s enthusiasm, but then dove underwater again. He pushed himself and Gil from the bottom of the lake back up and send Gil flying in the air. He could hear Gil shout in excitement. 

“Now it’s mine turn again!” Jay yelled when they both came up again. Gil nodded and dove under. Within a few seconds Jay could feel a great force underneath his feet as he got pushed out of the water and went flying through the air. 

They pushed each other out of the water a couple of times, before they decided they would jump off the mountain together. They raced to the top, but carefully walked through the dark, slippery cave, holding each other hands for guidance again. The cold air didn’t bother them, when the thrill of chasing each other up the hill both heated them up. They both had to catch their breath when they reached the top. Gil looked up at the stars again, smiling brightly back at them. When did he ever get so lucky? He suddenly felt Jay softly touching his arm. 

“Ready for another dive?” Jay asked excited. 

Gil looked back at him for a moment, taking it all in. He didn’t want this to end. Not yet. He carefully placed a hand on Jay’s cheek and softly placed a kiss on Jay’s lips. He banned the thought of his dad out of his head once more when he opened his eyes again and smiled up to Jay. “Yes, now I’m ready.” 

Jay took his hand and together they ran towards the edge, leaping into the darkness beneath them. The rush of the fall was even greater than the first time, squeezing in each other’s hand, screaming from the top of their lungs, before they hit the water again. They swum towards each other, somehow ending up in each other’s arms when they both gasped for air. 

Jay could hear Gil’s contagious laughter, holding him even closer than before. He didn’t want to drown him again, so Jay quickly let go off his tight grasp. They moved closer to the waterfall, feeling bits of water splashing on their skin. 

Gil could suddenly feel a stone right underneath his feet as they got closer to the edge of the lake. He was finally able to stand in the water and he pulled Jay towards him. For a moment Jay was perplexed how Gil was able to keep his head above water. He quickly surrendered as he looked up in Gil’s eyes, letting himself fall into his arms. 

Gil ran his fingers through his hair again, removing a few locks from his face. He held Jay even closer to him, wrapping both his arms around him and moving in for another kiss. Jay wasn’t hard to convince, as he wrapped both his legs around Gil’s waist again. The silver waterfall kept rushing down, the only sound they could hear by being so close to it. The millions of stars and the bright moonlight were still shining down on them while they shared a passionate kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song that brought a lot of inspiration while writing the last two chapters (and the upcoming chapter) is Tomorrow from Mika. I seriously love that song and it fits Gil’s point of view perfectly these chapters; 
> 
> _“So kiss me under the light of a thousand stars. Who gives a shit about tomorrow, when you know how lucky we are.”_


	23. Chapter 23

Jay climbed out of the water, immediately feeling a cold wind breeze. He shivered, while he tried to shake of the water. He wasn’t sure how long he and Gil had been swimming. The moon still shone brightly in the sky, but it obviously shifted. It had to be in the middle of the night by now. They had wrestled in the water and jumped off the cliff for a couple of times. Somehow it hadn’t been that cold, having Gil close to him all the time. Secretly striking over his bare chest and stealing kisses from time to time made sure his heart beat fast and heated up his skin. But once out of the water the wind made him feel like it was freezing. 

“I’m going to make us a fire,” Jay shivered as he watched Gil climbing out of the lake as well. 

Jay secretly observed how Gil removed his hair from his face with a swift move of his hand. A few drops of water rolled down his neck onto his chest and Jay could feel how his body heated up already. He was never getting used to that sight. 

“Shouldn’t we get our clothes first?” Gil asked, already looking up to the hill top. 

“Oh yes, we left them up there,” Jay painfully reminded himself. 

Gil chuckled a bit when he shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t worry, I’ll get them for us,” he said, already making his way towards the path that led to the top. 

“You know the way?” Jay had to make sure. 

“I’ll be all right,” Gil said with a reassuring smile. 

“I’ll make sure the fire is roaring when you return,” Jay said. “You should be able to see the light from here.” Gil nodded and greeted off before he disappeared in the dark. 

Jay immediately searched for the fireplace a little deeper into the woods. It was just a little hole in the ground surrounded by stones. Around the fireplace stood a few benches where one could watch the dancing flames. Close to the fireplace stood a very small wooden shack in which they kept the firewood. Jay had already enjoyed multiple bonfires with the tourney team at this place. Setting things on fire was a great way to celebrate a winning game, definitely when there was pizza involved. Jay suddenly looked up; did Gil ever had pizza? 

Jay made a little note to himself that he would treat Gil to some pizza next time as he took some firewood from the stockpile in the little wood shack. Jay noticed how just a little was left of it. Probably because it was the end of the summer and most campfires were made during the summer holiday. Jay shrugged, knowing they could always find enough sticks and twigs laying around in the woods. They were probably dry enough, due to the fact that it hadn’t been raining for a while. 

Jay lit up one of the matches and set fire to the little dry twigs. A bright yellow flame reached towards the sky and Jay quickly fuelled the fire with some bigger sticks before the twigs would burn out. The fire was indeed roaring and burned on Jay’s skin, since he was still just wearing his boxer shorts. He wished for Gil’s swift return with their clothes. He wasn’t that cold anymore due to the fire, but it still felt weird standing there without his clothes on. It was at that moment that Jay could hear the splashing of water and Gil cursing in response. 

“Everything okay?” Jay asked to the dark. 

“Yea, just dropped some clothes in the water,” Gil answered just before he came into the light of the fire. “But I think they are mine, so it’s okay.” 

Jay smiled and shook his head, before he realized Gil was still just standing in his shorts as well. Jay frowned as he wondered why Gil hadn’t already put his clothes back on. He then recognized his dripping jacket and t-shirt that Gil was holding up at him. 

“Never mind, they are yours,” Gil said in a soft voice. Regret was clear to see on his face as he stood there with all their clothes in his arms. Jay rushed over to him and took his boots and pants, lightning the load for Gil. 

“Don’t feel too bad about it,” Jay responded. He couldn’t even be mad when Gil stood in front of him like that. “I’ll just put them on. They dry in no time in front of the fire.” 

Jay put his pants and boots back on, when he noticed Gil hung his drenched jacket and t-shirt over one of the empty benches, leaving his own clothes on the ground. 

“I can’t let you wear those wet clothes when I was the one who dropped them,” Gil explained when he saw Jay’s questioning glance. He then grabbed his own jacket off the ground and threw it towards Jay. “You can wear mine if you want to.” 

Jay caught the jacket just before it would hit his head. For a moment he just stood there, unsure what to do with it. He just stared how Gil finally put his clothes back on as well. 

“Why didn’t you just get dressed on the hill top?” Jay asked, not able to hold back his curiosity anymore. 

“What?” Gil looked back up at him. 

“You would’ve much less clothes to carry if you just did so.”

Gil shrugged and looked away for a moment. Again with that regretful expression on his face. 

“I don’t know,” Gil mumbled in response. “I saw you were already shivering, so I wanted to come back as fast as possible. So I just grabbed all the clothes and rushed back. I still messed up. I dropped your jacket and now you’re still cold.“ 

Jay blinked a few times, before a smile creeped on his face. He quickly put on Gil’s jacket, maybe even happier than when he was wearing his tourney jersey for the first time. He walked over to Gil and playfully bump into him with his shoulder. 

“I’m not cold anymore,” Jay said truthfully.

Gil smiled back at him, when his insecurities quickly faded by Jay’s words. His jacket actually looked really good on Jay. Maybe a little spacious around the shoulders, but besides that it was a perfect fit. That was definitely a prop when you and your boyfriend had the same sizes. 

Jay threw some fresh wood in the flames and Gil reached his hands towards the fire to feel its heat. Jay glanced at Gil once more. He could still clearly see Gil’s brawned body through his shirt. He then noticing how Gil wasn’t wearing his gloves or his bandana for that matter. They still laid on the ground besides the bench. Jay didn’t mind, since Gil’s blond wet hair looked really good on him. His hair glowed like gold as it reflected the light of the fire. Jay had been right before. Any kind of light looked amazing on Gil. Gil went to sit down at one of the benches, still holding his hands out towards the fire. 

“You were right, the fire is very nice,” Gil said with a grateful smile on his face. Jay sat beside him, a little closer than what was actually necessary. 

Gil looked back up to the stars again, glad he could still see them through the branches of the trees. He searched for Jay’s hand in the dark, holding it gently in his when he found it. He secretly hoped he would see a falling star, so he could wish for this night to never end. Gil didn’t want to see the morning light, a little frightened to meet up with his dad. He wasn’t sure what to tell him. He totally forgot to make another drawing of the castle and he wasn’t really sure how he could described how the castle looked like. But besides that he didn’t have much information to give. 

“Are you alright?” Jay asked after a while, surprising Gil. “It looked like you were lost in thoughts.” 

“Yea, I’m alright,” Gil answered softly. He lifted Jay’s hand up and placed a little kiss on it. After that he pressed Jay’s hand on his chest, close to his heart. He didn’t even notice his actions made Jay blush, since Jay wasn’t sure what to do with his hand that suddenly belonged to Gil. 

“Well, we probably have to search for some sticks to put on the fire,” Jay said back as he tried to ignore Gil still having his hand captured. “There wasn’t much stockpile, so I pretty much burned all what was left.” 

“I’m sure there is enough wood laying around in the forest,” Gil said back. 

“Otherwise we can just burn the shack,” Jay joked. 

“Better to find some wood in the forest,” Gil joked back. “That thing is so small, we won’t stay warm for long.” Jay chuckled for a bit, before he felt how Gil squeezed in his hand again. 

“Why are you doing that?” Jay suddenly busted out. 

“Doing what?” Jay noticed Gil sounded genuine confused. Jay moved his hand as a silent hint, not sure how he could express himself with words. 

“Oh,” Gil responded and quickly released Jay’s hand. “I’m sorry, that just…” Gil went silent for a moment, suddenly staring back at the flames with a slight smile on his face. “I guess things like that never just happen.” 

Jay frowned his eyebrows, slowly pulling his hand back. “I never said I mind,” Jay said, laying his hand on Gil’s arm. 

A smile appeared back on Gil’s face, once more realizing Jay wouldn’t get mad at him when he did something stupid. Gil quickly place another kiss on the hand that rested on his arm, making Jay blush once more. He indeed didn’t mind at all. Jay shifted even closer to Gil, until he could rest his head on Gil’s shoulder. 

Jay couldn’t remember he ever felt so peaceful as he and Gil softly talked, while enjoying the campfire together. It didn’t take long before the fire ran out of fuel and the boys had to get up to find some more. Together they wandered through the forest, quickly searching for some dry twigs and sticks that were laying around. When they came back to the fireplace, the fire was transformed in a sad pile of red glowing ember. Jay grabbed the matches already, but Gil placed some small dry twigs he had found on the embers. He softly blew on it and the fire quickly came back to life. Jay smiled proudly at him, realizing he had done this before. It also didn’t surprise Jay to learn that Gil really enjoyed playing with the flames, not even scared to get burned. Together they threw some sticks into the flames and trying to grab them again after they caught fire, reaching the burning torches to the stars proudly when one of them succeeded. It felt like just a few minutes had passed by when Jay noticed the first sunlight peeking through the trees. He hit Gil against his shoulder, getting his attention. 

“If we’re quick, we might see the sunrise from the hill top,” he said with a smile. 

Gil quickly looked up to the sky, which was indeed slowly turning light blue. All the stars had already disappeared. Somehow the night had ended, dawn had arrived. 

“Why do you keep pacing out like that?” Jay asked, playfully pushing Gil against his shoulder. “It’s not like you.” Jay could then see the serious expression on Gil’s face. 

“Shit, I had to meet him at dawn,” Gil said, quickly jumping up and searching for the clothes he had laying around somewhere. 

Jay still sat at the bench, his eyes wide with confusion. “Who? Harry?” 

“No, my dad,” Gil answered, slightly looking back towards Jay. 

Jay stared back at him for a few seconds. He could see the frightful expression on Gil’s face and Jay slowly started to realize something was wrong, even though Gil hadn’t said anything during the entire night. 

“I didn’t know you were still in touch with your dad,” Jay said as he carefully tried to get more information. 

Gil sighed, hastily putting his gloves and his bandana back on. “He send my brothers to me a few weeks ago. And yesterday he send me this letter which said to meet up with him at dawn.” 

“So does he want anything from you?” Jay asked, his concern growing. 

“I just need to give him some information,” Gil answered, still looking around. “Where did I leave my jacket?” The moment the words came out Gil started to realize. He looked back up at Jay, who still sat on the bench with his jacket on. Jay slowly stood up and took a few steps towards him. 

“You want it back?” He asked him. Gil already shook his head, while he looked away again. It still looked really good on him. 

“No, it’s okay,” Gil answered. “I need to go.” 

“Please explain to me what’s going on,” Jay said as he slowly reached out to Gil. He wanted to touch him, but doubt held him back. 

“Maybe I should’ve told you sooner,” Gil said. 

“Is this about the thing you weren’t allowed to tell me?” Jay guessed. Gil didn’t say a word, but the surprised shock that appeared in his eyes confirmed it. 

Before Jay could say more, Gil carefully wrapped his arms around him. He pressed Jay softly against his chest and letting his own head rest on his shoulder. He wished he could tell Jay. He wished he could tell him everything. But he had to do this on his own. He had to try to keep everyone safe. Jay, the pirate crew and everyone else in Auradon. 

“Don’t worry about me, okay. I promise, I will explain it all to you tomorrow, alright.” Jay could hear the reassuring words, but the tight grip Gil held on him actually worried him even more. Something was definitely not right. Gil was frightened, even though his voice sounded calm. 

“Where are you going?” Jay asked and noticed he wasn’t as good in hiding the shake in his voice. This entire conversation just felt too much like a goodbye. Gil released Jay from his embrace and took a step backwards. 

“I will be back,” Gil said with the same confidence, but somehow Jay could read the doubt in his eyes. “But I need to go now.” Gil squeezed softly in Jay’s hand and gave him one last smile, before he turned around and disappeared in the woods. 

Jay just stood there for a moment, unsure about what to do. He knew relationships were built on trust, but he didn’t trust this at all. He quickly made up his mind and decided to follow Gil to wherever he was planning to go. For a moment he looked over at his jacket and shirt that were still hanging over one of the benches, but Jay already shook his head. He was already wasting time by just standing there. 

Jay followed Gil through the woods, glad Gil wasn’t someone who was very good at sneaking quietly. It didn’t take long before he found him. They left the forest behind and walked through the streets of Auradon. There was almost no soul outside, due to the early morning hour. It also didn’t surprise Jay to see they were walking towards the bridge that would lead them to the Isle of the Lost. Gil was an easy person to follow. He was loud himself and didn’t look backwards even once. But Jay wasn’t certain how he was able to follow Gil across the bridge, when there were no places to take cover. But just before they reached the bridge they made a small turn away from the main road. 

Jay hid behind a tree again, carefully glancing over at where they would go next. He was glad to see Gil actually took another path, until Jay could see five other figures suddenly appearing. He immediately recognized the huge man, entirely covered with muscles and the long, black hair. It was Gaston, no doubt about it. Beside the man stood two other brawled up men who looked exactly alike. Both with short black hair and the same confident smirk as their dad. Jay knew those two as well. Gil’s stupid twin brothers, which were both named Gaston as well. Jay didn’t recognize the other two men, probably just two of Gaston’s henchmen. Jay clenched his teeth, glad Gil didn’t lie about meeting up with his dad at least. However, the whole situation still seemed messed up. 

“Gil, my son,” Gaston greeted Gil warmly. “I’m so glad you’re finally here. I knew you would never follow that Auradon bunch.” 

Jay felt like he was unable to breath when he heard Gaston. He carefully glanced over as he saw how Gil stood in front of his dad. He would stay behind the tree this time, not planning to break his cover like he did when he tried to spy on The Sea Three a few days earlier. 

“Hi dad,” Gil greeted Gaston. 

Jay looked over again, wondering what was going to happen. He didn’t want to believe it, even though it was getting pretty obvious what was happening right in front of his eyes. Gil was double crossing him. 

“I trust you have some reports about the Beast and his castle?” Gaston asked to his son that was standing in front of him. 

Jay swear he could feel a hand choking him as his eyes grew wide. There was no possibility to deny it anymore when he heard Gil answering his dad. “I think I have what you need.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning: (mentioning of) abuse and hate speech

Gil stood in front of his dad, trying to hide this urge to run away. He knew that any sign of fear could end up in scolding or even a beat up. It had been a while since he had met up with his dad, but he never forgot how he always had to be tough. He always had to be strong. Gil took a deep breath, remembering Jay’s smile as he did so. His charming smile and those caring dark eyes calmed him down. Maybe if they hurried up he could run back to the lake. Maybe if he was lucky Jay was still there. They could climb up the hill again and watched the sunrise like Jay wanted to. Gil slowly nodded to himself. He just had to deal with this for a moment and then he would go back to Jay again. 

“How long have you actually been in this place?” Gaston asked Gil. “I must say, it seems really nice. I will have a good look around after I made Belle my wife and this will all mine. But tell me son, what’s it all like?” 

“Oh, it’s been great,” Gil answered his dad question. “You know, the food is really great and the water is fresh. They have leaves on their trees here. The forest is really great too and...” Gaston made Gil stop his rant with just a small gesture with his hand. He slowly turned to his other two sons. 

“Didn’t I tell you my boys?” Gaston said loudly. “The Beast has everything here, but as always he doesn’t like to share. We have to take what’s ours. Protect the citizens of the Isle and lead them to their freedom.” 

Gaston then turned back to his youngest son, who had to fight to keep his face straight. He didn’t mean to fuel his dad rage, he actually tried to calm him down. 

“Speaking of which,” Gaston continued to Gil. “Where are your pirate friends? Don’t they want to fight for their freedom?” 

Gil felt a slight panic rising up in him. He had hoped his dad wouldn’t ask and would be content if he showed up on his own. Gil had to be careful, knowing he had just one chance to turn this all around. 

“Well,” Gil said, unsure how he could bring the news to his dad. “Uma didn’t think it was wise to stand up to Mal and Ben, so she…” 

“What?” Gaston cried out in disbelief. “I always thought the pirates were fearless. I cannot believe what I’m hearing. Well, I’m sure they will join us eventually. They’ve send you after all.” 

Gil tried to keep a straight face. He definitely wouldn’t tell his dad he actually went against his captain’s orders by coming here. Harry even planned to ambush Gaston and would be furious if he knew Gil still went to meet his dad. Gil was certain of it.

Jay still sat behind the tree, listening in to the conversations. He felt another sting through his heart when he learnt Gil was willing to drop everything to side with his dad against Auradon. How could he have been so stupid and naïve to think Gil would be anything different. He was still a Villain Kid and a member of the pirate crew. But somehow Jay had put his trust in him. Somehow he had showed his heart to him. Jay shook his head. He had to concentrate. Every word could be important when he had to report this to Mal within a few hours. He could hear Gaston’s voice again and Jay didn’t even have to concentrate to hear Gaston’s clear voice.

“Now tell me what you found out about the Beast.” Gil also jumped up when his dad suddenly raised his voice to him again. He cleared his throat as he gathered his courage once more. 

“The castle is really big,” Gil answered quickly. “It has a lot of high walls. I honestly forgot how many there were. But Harry said we could look that up online. Even though I’m not really sure what that is.” 

Gil could see the unimpressed expression on his dad face and he knew the information he gave wasn’t enough. He went through his memories, trying to visual all the rooms he had seen in the castle, when suddenly an important thought ran through his mind. 

“I haven’t seen any moving or talking furniture yet,” Gil quickly said, remembering how it costs his dad much trouble last time. “Well, except for some fighting armour, but I don’t think it was supposed to do that.” 

“Don’t mock me, boy!” Gaston’s hard voice silenced Gil, a glance of fear was seen on his face for a second. “Tell me what you know.” 

“They have guards,” Gil quickly answered and he swore they could hear the panic in his voice. “Like living guards, not just pieces of armour. And a lot of them it seems.” The expressions of the five men changed, when they all moved in a little closer. They were finally getting some useful information. 

“Do they have any secret weapons?” Gaston continued asking, but Gil didn’t have any more information. He looked up at the sky, trying hard to remember anything unusual he had seen in the castle. 

“Oh, the queen can turn into a dragon,” Gil suddenly said, a little proud of himself he had thought of something important. His dad frustrated sighed made him realize he had actually said something stupid. 

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Gaston said slowly, as if he was trying to control his anger. 

Gil could hit himself on the head. Of course he didn’t think of that immediately. It was common knowledge that Mal was actually a dragon. She was the daughter of Maleficent. And besides that, everybody had seen her transformation multiple times on their crappy televisions by now. 

Gil tried hard to think of anything else, something his dad didn’t know. He hadn’t much time left, he could read it on his dad’s impatient face. Once more he went back to the castle in his mind, knowing he was missing something. He remembered what he had seen in the gardens, when a sudden thought made him look back up to his dad. Something his dad didn’t know, but could definitely be important to him. 

“Belle really likes flowers,” Gil slowly said. “And so do I.” 

For a moment it was silent, when Gaston looked at him in surprise. Gaston Junior and Gaston the Third broke the tension, when they started laughing at the same time. They quickly controlled themselves, when they both noticed their dad didn’t find it a laughing matter at all. 

Jay carefully spied from behind his tree to the group of men. He had noticed the moment of silence as well. He could see Gaston staring intense at his youngest son, while Junior and Trip both tried to keep their faces straight. Jay wasn’t able to see Gil’s face, since he could only see him from behind. Gil sounded confident, Jay thought, as he could hear his voice clearly. 

Though Gil didn’t feel confident at all. He didn’t even notice he was holding his breath, waiting for his dad reaction. His brothers still looked sinister, even though they were still smiling.

“What have you actually been doing the past month?” Gaston asked. His voice soft, but threatening. Gil wasn’t able to hide the dread from his face anymore. 

“Well dad, you see…,” Gil wanted to answer. 

“They told me you were close to the Beast’s son,” Gaston loudly interrupted. “You were able to talk to him right?” 

“Yea, I have,” Gil quickly answered. 

“So what did he tell you?” His dad was just plain yelling, as if he wanted the entire city of Auradon and the Isle of the Lost to hear about his plans. Gil still couldn’t immediately answer, even though he noticed how both his brothers leaned in again. Gil stared at them for a moment, even though he could hear his dad’s impatiently snorting. 

“Gil, my son,” Gaston tried after Gil was silent for a moment. “I hope you understand why this is important. If I had known that I just needed to destroy that rose, I would’ve been able to rescue Belle. I would’ve defeated the Beast. So I need you to tell me what you know.” 

Gil didn’t even hear his dad anymore. Many thoughts flashed in front of his eyes, immediately remembering the bright red roses he had taken to show to his friends, leaving a broken bush behind. He then suddenly thought about the moment when he and Belle stood in the castle gardens in front of the other rose bush. Remembering how Belle told him how just a little magic was left in the rose bushes, being the descendants of the magical rose. 

“I already destroyed the rose bush,” Gil said to himself. “It doesn’t matter. Belle told me it will bloom again.” 

Gaston could barely hear his son’s mumbling, making him frown in confusion. He saw how Gil thought very deeply, glad he had finally talked some sense in the boy. 

Gil shook his head, remembering how Belle had put a hand on his shoulder and welcomed him to Auradon. How King Ben allowed him to walk through their gardens, not even assuming for a second that he was planning to spy on them. Gil slowly made up his mind when he looked back up to his dad. 

“You know,” Gil started, and he could hear his own voice shift for a second. “King Ben is actually not that bad.” His dad’s eyes grew wide from anger and disgust, but both Junior and Trip just frowned in confusion and disbelief. 

“He wants to give us a second change,” Gil quickly continued before his dad could interrupt him once more. “He actually said he was glad he could welcome all the villains.” 

“Have you’ve gone completely mad?” Gaston yelled back. 

Gil wanted to take a step backwards, getting further away from his dad’s angry voice, but he stood his ground. Behind the tree Jay listened closely, a frown appearing on his face, asking himself why Gil would suddenly be standing up for Ben. He wished he could go to Gil, asking him what he was thinking, but all he could do was fighting against his own emotions and listening in to the conversation.

“He must’ve completely lost his mind if he thinks the Beast’s offspring is going to give us a second chance,” Junior said to his twin brother, making Gaston nod in agreement. 

“No, it’s true,” Gil tried to convince his brothers. “He gave me a second change too. And I even kidnapped him and tied him to our ship once. Harry even threatened to kill him and…” 

“Enough!” Gil immediately went silent again, but he noticed how his two brothers secretly looked at each other behind their dad’s back. A glance filled with doubt, checking if the other was thinking the same. Junior stared back at Gil in disbelief, but Trip looked a little different. A small glance of hope was seen in his eyes. 

“Don’t tell me I actually have to be ashamed of one of my sons,” Gaston continued. 

Gil heard the change in his voice. He sounded less angry, but more desperate. Gil didn’t like where this was going and he couldn’t stop himself from taking a step backwards. 

“Don’t tell me it’s actually true.” Gil got hit by confusion, when he wondered what his dad was referring to. 

“No, it’s not true,” Gil quickly answered. “I’m not part of Auradon, dad. I’m just trying to…” 

“It’s not that,” Gaston interrupted him again. “Your brothers told me something ridiculous a while ago. I refused to believe it, but now that I see you standing here I start having doubts.” Gil glanced at his older brothers once more, suddenly both with a smirk on their faces. Panic started to rise up in his chest. 

“What’s true?” Gil managed to ask, forcing himself to look at his dad again. He could see his dad already shook his head. No matter what it was, it was something really bad. 

“We’ve heard something about you and another guy, little Gillie,” Gaston Junior started to answer. 

“Yes, something about kissing each other and holding each other hands,” Gaston the Third added. 

“Yes, seems like you and the boy are getting along really well.” 

Gil’s eyes grew big as he watched how his dad frowned back at him in disgust. He took another step backwards, no longer able to hide his fear. “How did you find out about Jay?” 

Jay could hear the shake in Gil’s voice as his eyes grew big as well. He had no idea how the subject of the conversation suddenly switched so fast. He secretly glared at the group of men again and saw how Junior and Trip glared at each other in confusion. 

“I thought his name was Harry,” Trip said to his twin brother. 

“Yes, I thought so too,” Junior answered. “Harry, the little pirate boy.” 

“Indeed, the one running around with the hook.” Both brothers stared back at Gil, both unaware how their dad clenched his teeth in anger. He couldn’t care less about the boy’s name. 

“You’ve got two boyfriends?” Trip asked directly to Gil. 

Junior already whistled through his teeth, not waiting for an answer. “Now I’m actually impressed.” 

Junior didn’t even had time to react when his dad turned around and hit him against his cheek. He almost fell backwards, but he quickly recovered, straightening his back. 

“It’s not impressive! It’s a disgrace!” His father yelled up to him. Junior simply nodded in agreement, not showing any sign of discomfort. Both twin brothers reminded themselves where they stood. 

Gil didn’t hide his disgust as he could see how the cheek of his brother already coloured red. It hurt, he knew it did, even though his oldest brother didn’t show it. Gil understood well. Any sign of pain or weakness could result in another blow. He remembered it so well, before he decided to stay with the pirate crew. 

“But it is true then,” Gaston continued. He turned back towards Gil. He already looked a little calmer, as if he managed to take some of his anger out on his oldest son. It made feel Gil even more disgusted about the entire situation. “My own son is a wimp and a wuss. A disgrace; weak and unworthy! You and the other boy, disgusting and disgraceful.” 

Gil watched his dad’s theatrical display, whining to himself in self pity. Gil had seen it before, had heard all the words before. He just stood there, letting it all wash over him. His thoughts brought him back to Jay, how he wasn’t disappointed in him when he couldn’t climb in the cherry tree the first time he tried. How Jay wasn’t getting mad at him when he fell down even a second time. He remembered the warm glance in his eyes and the soft touch of his hands. He remembered how Jay stood in front of him with his jacket on, the light of the fire reflecting on his face. How Jay wasn’t mad at him for dropping his clothes in the lake, but seemed proud to wear Gil’s jacket instead. All of his dad’s words disappeared in the background when Gil silently reached out for Jay. Not knowing Jay was actually really close by, hearing Gaston’s rant as well. He wrapped the jacket closer around his body, as if he could feel Gil’s arms wrapped around him by doing so. 

“You put me to shame for the last time, boy!” Gaston suddenly yelled after a deep inhale. Both Gil and Jay looked up, due to the sudden change in Gaston’s voice. “I’ll make sure you’ll never see daylight again. You and that other boy’s disgusting behaviour ends here.” Gil shook his head and he surprised himself by clenching his fists. 

“You have no idea,” Gil said silently to himself. 

“What’d you say, boy?” Gaston yelled back. 

Gil straightened his back, lifted up his chin and looked right back to his dad. 

“You have no idea,” Gil yelled back. For a moment father and son just looked at each other. Jay didn’t notice he almost blew his cover by crawling closer to the scene. The urge to run towards Gil grew with every second. 

“You have no idea what’s going on between me and Jay,” Gil continued, not planning to back down anymore. “If you ever saw us together, you would see how he walks up to me. How he holds me! How he kisses me, without fear. He isn’t scared of me!” 

“Enough!” 

“You have no idea what it feels like!” Gil yelled even louder than his dad. He took a step forward, not allowing to get interrupted again. “When he holds my hand and smiles up to me. He cares about me. And he means a lot to me. In fact, he’s the best thing that has ever happened to me! I have what you’ve been fighting for, for your entire life. You’re chasing a woman who is happily married to another guy, they have a son together and she doesn’t even like you. She despises you, dad. And yet you still believe you can have her.” 

Gil felt like he was out of breath, as he stared back at his dad. His dad could call him a weakling or a disappointment if he wanted to. He was probably right about that. But Gil wouldn’t allow him to talk bad about Jay or Belle anymore. 

“But yea, I will just agree with you that Jay and I are disgraceful,” Gil finished his plea. His voice sounded calm again, but he still wasn’t planning to back down. He could see his dad’s neck turning into a bright red colour. His dad was really mad and Gil knew he was up for some punishment. 

“You get over here! Now!” Gaston grunted to him. 

Gil didn’t care anymore. He had already lost this battle before he had even arrived. He knew he could never win from his dad. At least he said what he had to say. Gil took a deep breath, nodding to his dad. He would listen to him, as he always did. At least Jay was still there where he left him. Warm and cosy by the fireplace, having his jacket wrapped around his shoulders. He was safe. Just like the pirate crew, where the first of the squad woke up to the sunshine. Belle would be peacefully walking through the rose gardens a little later in the morning. He was the only one who was getting hurt. Gil painfully smiled towards the ground as he took the first step towards his dad. 

It was alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everyone again for the comments and the support.  
> It means a lot to me. ^^


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter warning: Violence

Jay knew he had to handle fast as he watched how Gil slowly walked up to his dad. He grabbed his phone and called the first person he could find in his contact list. He already made his way over there and didn’t care anymore if anyone could see or hear him. They were all too busy with the situation that happened in front of them anyway. Gaston was blinded by rage, while the two twin brothers seemed to be in conflict. The two henchmen had taken a few steps back. They had seen how Gaston hit his own son and they didn’t want to be next. Besides, they knew what would happen to the youngest son. 

“You better have a very good reason to call me this early,” a grumpy Carlos finally said on the other end of the line. 

“Carlos, I need reinforcement,” Jay said immediately. 

“What?” Carlos said, still half asleep. 

“Gaston is causing trouble at the bridge. We need help and fast!” 

“Wait Jay. What’s going on?” 

Jay didn’t hear any more than that, since he threw his phone away and sprinted towards his boyfriend. He noticed how Gaston had his fist ready to strike. Jay had seen what Junior had to endure by just speaking out of line. Jay didn’t even want to imagine what Gil had coming for him if he wasn’t in time. The henchmen started to notice him, but Gaston was still fixed on his son. 

Gil took a deep breath, knowing he was almost in his dad’s reach, when suddenly he felt a hand pushing him backwards again. A shadow suddenly appeared between him and his dad. Gaston tried to comprehend what was happening, but the shadow was too athletic and fast. He easily dodged the fist that flew towards him, like he had been dodging the Dragon Fire on the tourney field for a year now. 

Jay hit Gaston back and managed to hit him straight in his face. He saw both the twin brothers react, but Jay already jumped backwards before either of them could reach him. He quickly retreated, pushing Gil with him when he did so. The two boys stared at each other for a moment. Gil’s eyes wide with shock, fear and disbelief. Jay actually smiled, glad he had been in time. He could feel his hand pound from the blown it had to endure, but the pain was nothing compared to the relief he felt for having Gil back in his arms. Jay had to quickly turn back towards the danger, seeing how Gaston had recovered from his little surprise attack. 

“You just hit my dad in the face,” Gil said still in shock. His high pitched voice made Jay chuckle nervously. 

“And I will do it again if he tries to get near you,” Jay said, while he was massaging his own hand. He still stood in front of Gil. He meant what he said. But Gil already shook his head, trying to get a grip of the situation again. 

“You already betrayed us to the Auradon bunch!” Gaston grunted to them. 

“No!” Gil immediately answered. “No, I swear. He doesn’t know anything.” 

“Bro, you should’ve told me,” Jay said back to Gil. Gil eyes flashed to his dad back to Jay and back to his dad again. He then pushed Jay further away from the fight. 

“Go!” he simply said, adding even more force when he noticed Jay wasn’t planning to budge even one step. 

“I am not leaving you here,” Jay said back to him. 

“Yes, you are! Leave now!” 

“No!” Jay was just as determined as Gil. 

The twin brothers looked at each other again, unsure what to think when they saw how Jay lay his hand on their little brother’s cheek. Gil was getting out of his mind, but it was clear to see how the slight touch calmed him down immediately. His breathing got a little more steady and the muscles in his shoulders seemed to relax. 

“I’m not leaving you here,” Jay said again. “I took on your brothers before. We can take them.” 

Gil still didn’t agree, but there wasn’t any time left to argue. Gil saw how his dad already made his way towards them, closely followed by his two twin brothers and the two henchmen. There was no way they could take them, but it was also pointless to try to flee. 

It was then when suddenly a smoke bomb exploded in front of Gaston’s feet, making the five men stop in their track. One figure suddenly stood in the middle of the field, his hook tight in his hand, ready to attack. He looked around for a moment, feeling a wave of relief when he saw both Gil and Jay unharmed. 

“Harry?” Jay said excited. Unlike Gil he was quickly recovered from the surprise. “This is actually the first time I’m happy to see you.” A smirk appeared on Harry’s face as he quickly made his way towards them. 

“You’re lying to me again, Jay,” Harry said back when he reached them. 

Gil opened his mouth to say something, but somehow he wasn’t able to speak anymore. He had tried anything he could, so nothing would happen to anyone else. Suddenly the two he cared about the most were standing beside him. 

“Not be worried,” Harry said to both of them. They watched how the five men continued their way towards them. “The other pirates can be here any moment now. We just have to hold them off for a few minutes.” 

“Guys, we really should not fight my dad,” Gil finally managed to say. 

“It’s a little late for that,” Jay said, referring to the five men storming towards them. “Harry, you take on the two henchmen. Gil, you get your brothers. I will take on Gaston.” Harry sighed frustrated, showing he didn’t agree with his opponents. He rather took on Gaston or one of the twin brothers, still having a score to settle with them. 

“Alright,” Harry said, realizing they didn’t had the time to argue. He and Jay quickly glanced at each other, giving each other a meaningful nod. They disagreed on many things, but they stood united when it came to Gil. 

“I’m serious, we really should not…” 

“On my sign we attack,” Harry said, ignoring Gil’s pleading completely. Harry waited for another small moment, so Jay could prepare himself. “Now! Attack!” Harry and Jay immediately sprinted towards the threat, leaving Gil in uncertainty. 

“Shit!” Gil cursed out loud, just before he followed them into battle. 

He did what he was told, immediately attacking his oldest brother Gaston Junior. It had been a while since Gil actually fought his brothers. He couldn’t really remember. He only knew it never ended well for him. But Gil did remember that his brothers always aimed for the face. So Gil ducked when he saw his brother’s fist coming nearer. In full speed Gil smashed himself into his brother and tackled him onto the ground. Before Junior could comprehend what had happened, Gil made sure his fist was raining down on him. He too had learned to aim for the face. 

Gil saw his other brother coming towards him in the corner of his eye. He quickly jumped off Junior, dodging Trip’s first attack. Gil noticed how Trip tried to step over their other brother, already having a bad balance while doing so. Gil quickly kicked against his leg, making him fall over Junior. Gil kicked him again, this time aiming for the head once more. Gil looked down in surprise when he watched both his brothers lying in front of his feet. However, they weren’t defeated, both already trying to get back on their feet. Gil quickly glanced around, seeing Jay was actually doing fine against his dad. Jay was mostly just dodging him, making Gaston angrier and angrier in the process. Harry on the other hand lost more ground to his two opponents. Gil quickly made his way towards him, leaving his two brothers on the ground. 

Harry got several blows and blood was dripping down his lip, but he still stood his ground. One of the men hit him in the stomach, while Harry was busy blocking the other. Gil quickly grabbed the arm that tried to harm Harry again and pushed it backwards. The man to which it was attached to was forced to follow the movement of his arm, in order to not get it broken. He found himself falling on his stomach on the ground, while Gil still held his arm tightly. With just one firm kick to the elbow, Gil broke the arm and dropped it on the ground. 

The screaming of the man made everyone look up for a moment. He suddenly couldn’t move his arm anymore and could only scream to deal with the unspeakable pain he felt. The second guy quickly backed off, craving to escape the fate his friend got. Even Junior and Trip stopped in their trace for a moment. Gaston ignored the loud screaming, finally able to grab the irritating kid in front of him. Gil saw how Jay got thrown to the ground, trying to dodge Gaston while laying on the ground. Gil cursed himself as he wasn’t able to come to his aid. Both his brothers were at him again, pushing the last standing henchman back into the fight. 

Just like Harry, Gil was unable to dodge two men attacking him. He felt how Trip hit him in the face as he blocked Junior’s blow. Harry quickly stood between them, giving Trip a nasty cut on his arm with his hook. Gil and Harry stood back to back, watching the three men closing in to them. Gil could see how Jay got thrown through the air again, rolling on the grass as he tried to break the fall. Gil tried to concentrate on his own opponents, as another scream filled the air. 

“Pirates attack!” 

Harry and Gil send each other a slight smile, when they both recognized her voice. “Uma!” 

Jonas was the first one who entered the battle field, screaming loudly and his sword high up in the air. The rest of the crew followed closely behind. The second henchman took a few steps backwards immediately, seeing if he could flee without the twins noticing it. Trip already grabbed his collar and pushed him towards the group of yelling pirates. 

“They’re just a bunch of kids. We can take them,” Junior said, ready for the attack. 

Gil finally made his way towards Jay, since Harry got some back up from the pirates. He quickly pushed his dad away from Jay, who still laid defeated on the ground. He had lost count on how many times Gaston had made him flying. Gil quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him back on his feet. Jay grunted from the pain he felt, but was glad be back on his feet again. Gil stood in front of his dad, knowing he had to fight him in order to protect Jay. He still hesitated. He wasn’t able to hit his dad like he had done to Gaston Junior a few minutes earlier. He stood there in front of Jay, blocking his dad’s attack with his own arms as a shield.

Harry tried hard to defeat the twin brothers. Somehow one of the pirates managed to lose his sword to them, making that Junior suddenly had a weapon in his hands. His brother had his back, trying to keep the swords away from them. The henchman already kneeled on the ground with a sword on his throat, being held captured by Bonny; the crazy, little pirate girl. 

Jonas tried to get through Junior’s defence, but could feel the sharp edge of the sword on the skin of his arm instead. Fortunately Gonzo had his back as always, blocking Junior’s sword before he could strike again. Harry noticed how the twin brothers were having a hard time against so many ‘kids’, even though Trip threw one of the pirates through the air and finally managed to get a sword as well. Harry quickly attacked him, not willing to risk any injuries on one of his crew members. He tried to find Uma in all the madness that was happening. He found her running towards Gaston, throwing one of her swords to Gil. Together they closed in Gil’s dad, his eyes still filled with anger and disgust. It didn’t seem like he would be giving up soon, but he slowly realized he was not at the winning hand anymore. 

A loud roar made everyone look up again. A giant shadow in the air blocked out the sun, but then lighted up the sky with her fire breath. The dragon flew over the field, trying to comprehend what was actually happening. The twin brothers gave each other one last glance, before they broke through the pirates that stood in their way. They didn’t leave, but ran towards their dad, hoping he would give them permission to retreat. It was getting pointless, he had to see that. Gaston gave both his sons an angry glare, he grunted as he turned around and ran towards the bridge back to the Isle. The two twin brothers quickly followed, leaving the two henchmen to the mercy of the pirates. 

The giant dragon still followed them closely, while Jay and the pirates finally caught their breaths. Gil looked around at the people standing around him. Jay was entirely covered in mud and grass and he held one arm wrapped over his chest. It was hard to breath, but Jay didn’t think he had broken anything. Harry whipped the blood from his lip, while he blinked with his left eye that was already swollen a little bit. Gonzo already ripped of a strip from his clothes to bandage the cut on Jonas’s arm. Gil then stared at Uma, who was at least unharmed. Gil then stared at the unknown man who was still screaming on the ground, tears in his eyes. He tried to get away from the pirates, but there was nothing he could do with his broken arm. Gil looked away in shame. This wasn’t how he intended it to be. 

“What happened?” Uma asked Gil, who didn’t even dare to look back up to her. 

“We’ll just call it another misunderstanding between him and his dad,” Harry joked, as he wrapped one arm around Gil’s shoulder. 

Jay frowned up in response, but decided not to answer. He didn’t feel like joking for the moment. He was glad the fight was over, but he still had a million questions rolling through his mind. However, he didn’t want to ask any of them as long as Uma and Harry were there to twist Gil’s words. 

“Next time we’re going to lock you in a room,” Uma said in a more serious tone towards Gil. “Making sure you’re not able to do anything stupid.” Gil silently nodded as he dared to look up a bit. He still was lost for words as he glanced over to Jay. Gil was relieved to see he already seemed to recover a little. 

The giant dragon turned around in the sky, roaring once more before the purple smoke appeared. The smoke slowly disappeared and revealed Mal standing in her pyjamas in the middle of the field. Mal noticed the grin that appeared on Uma’s face, but she wasn’t pleased at all. 

“Can someone please explain what happened here?” Mal yelled at the group of people standing around her. 

“What are you wearing?” Harry laughed, as he let his eyes slide over the ugly yellow pyjamas with the little white flowers printed on it. 

“I got called on this forsaken hour telling me there was an emergency at the bridge,” Mal screamed back him. “Of course I should’ve known it were the pirates messing it up again. That were just three men!” 

“Five men,” Harry corrected her. It was then that Mal finally noticed Jay limping over to her. Her eyes grew big from confusion. “What happened to you?” Mal screamed over to Jay. “Where is Carlos?” 

“I’m alright. Carlos is not here,” Jay answered her questions. He was unsure about what else he could tell her. He still had many questions himself. He finally reached up to her and tried to hide the pain. “Let’s just get you back to the castle, okay.” He spoke softly, hoping he would calm her down a bit. 

“No, first I want to know what happened here,” Mal said, fixing her eyes back to Uma. 

Uma just nonchalantly shrugged. “Look, we just had a few problems with Gaston. But it seems like he’s already gone now.” 

“What kind of problems?” Mal continued asking. Uma took a deep breath before she answered, not noticing Gil finally found his voice back. 

“My dad wants to take over Auradon,” Gil answered Mal’s question. Suddenly all eyes were fixed on Gil. Harry quickly grabbed Gil’s arm. 

“Now is not the time,” he hissed to him. 

Gil didn’t even listen, he only stared at Jay, who was staring back at him. Gil could finally tell him everything. “My brothers came to me a few weeks ago. I had to gather information for our dad, so I did.”

“You knew about this attack for weeks?” Mal asked, looking back at Uma again. Uma sighed frustrated, trying to think of an answer that would ease the situation. 

“This wasn’t the attack,” Gil answered instead. “I just had to…” 

“You really need to shut up!” Uma said while turning to him. Gil also noticed the angry glare he got from Harry. Mal crossed her arms in front of her chest, still looking straight at Uma. 

“You just gave Gaston the information?” Mal asked her. 

Uma sighed frustrated and shrugged again. “You know what, I don’t know,” she answered Mal’s question. “I also just got here after Harry started to raise panic.” 

“I was right, wasn’t I,” Harry said back to her. “I’m not to blame for the escalation.” 

“You should not have come!” Gil interrupted the conversation loudly. Harry had enough of it and turned towards him. A little movement of his eyebrows told Gil this was his last warning. Gil softly nodded and walked towards the rest of the pirate crew, all impatiently waiting for what was going to happen. Jay followed Gil’s movements, but quickly looked away when Gil looked back at him. 

“Listen,” Mal said. “I don’t care one bit about your intern pirate problems. I can’t believe you stabbed me in the back after all that I’ve done for you. Well actually, I can believe it. That might be the worst part.” 

“Mal,” Jay said softly. He laid a hand on Mal’s arm, getting her attention. “I’ve been here the entire time and I can tell you they didn’t say anything useful to Gaston.” 

“You’ve been in this too?” Mal asked to Jay, suddenly her eyes filled with hurt. She couldn’t believe one of her oldest friends would betray her. 

“No, of course not,” Jay immediately answered, calming her down a little. “Believe me, I didn’t know about all this until this morning. All I know is they didn’t give Gaston anything useful and they actually tried to fight him of from the beginning.” 

“Yes, but one of his sons is still here,” Mal said, glaring back at Gil for a moment. Jay looked at him for a moment as well, but then quickly focused on Mal again. 

“Let’s just go back to castle and think this through,” Jay said to her. 

“Fine,” Mal answered and stared back to Uma. “But we will be back.” 

“Of course you will,” Uma said back, even though she said it more to Harry than Mal. 

The pirate crew let them through. Gil could see how Jay gave him once last glare, before he continued his way, staying close to Mal’s side. Gil wanted to follow him. He took a step towards him and called out his name, but then a firm hand grabbed his arm. It was Jonas, who smirked back at him. 

“Absolutely not,” Uma said to Gil as she walked towards him. “You’re coming with us. You have a lot to explain to us too, you know.” 

Jay didn’t even look back as Gil watched him walking away. He remembered what Jay said, such a long time ago. It felt like it came from another lifetime, before they started to know each other. Before they made plans to explore the world together. 

“We can always go back to hating each other when this is over.”

Gil felt a sting in his heart when he questioned if that moment had finally arrived.


	26. Chapter 26

Gil sat on the railing of the Lost Revenge, looking out over the docks, searching for any sign of Jay’s return. He just had an entire lecture from Uma, basically telling him how stupid he had been. Firstly because he went after his father on his own. Secondly because he made matters much worse with Mal. Gil hated it when people were yelling at him. First it had been his dad telling him how useless he was. Then Mal, demanding to get all the information she wanted. Then Uma and hopefully Jay would be next. Well, he didn’t want Jay to start yelling at him, but it would be better than this silence. Wondering if he would come back at all. 

Harry had been staring at Gil from a distance for a while. He understood how he must feel, waiting for him to come back, not even sure if he would return at all. Harry could feel his blood boiling, already cursing Jay. He would make him pay if he would break Gil’s heart as well. He would put him in a bag filled with stones and let it sink to the bottom of the sea. He had no faith in Jay at all, even though he had seen Jay standing at Gil’s side this morning, saving him from his dad. 

Harry also cursed himself, since he almost had been too late. After a long night he had come back to the ship, immediately being greeted by Uma who wrapped her arms around him. She had been waiting for their return the entire night, but Gil still hadn’t come back yet. Uma told him that it would be fine, that he was probably still with Jay. Harry had his doubts, as he watched how the first rays of the sun already illuminated the sky. Harry told Uma to wake the crew and get them ready for battle as quick as possible. He hadn’t waste any time anymore, even forgetting to grab a sword, and ran towards the place where Gil would meet up with his dad. Even though they agreed they wouldn’t go Harry knew Gil had to listen to his dad’s orders. Harry wasn’t even mad. That was just the way Gil was. Always loyal, even to the man who kicked him out of the house years ago. Even to the boy that would break his heart and let him wait for nothing. 

Harry sighed, making his way towards Gil, who was still hopeful scanning the horizon for Jay. 

“You’ve been sitting here for almost an hour,” Harry said to him, making Gil look up for a moment. 

“Hi Harry,” Gil greeted him, his voice sad and distant. He felt guilty once more when he saw Harry’s swollen eye and busted lip. 

“You should eat something,” Harry said. “We have Bonny in the crow’s nest. She’ll sound the alarm when she sees someone.” Gil already shook his head. 

“I’m alright. I’m not hungry anyway,” Gil answered. 

“We’ve got grapes,” Harry tried, knowing how much Gil loved the fruit. This time it made him feel even worse, remembering the first time they walked through Auradon. 

“Cantaloupe,” Gil said softly to himself. Harry sighed and leaned on the railing. He looked over to Gil and tried to drop his tough act for once. 

“Look, I know you feel bad,” Harry said and tried to sound sympathetic. “But sitting here is not going to help anyone.” 

“There is not much I can do, right,” Gil answered. “I messed up.” 

“Got to agree with you there. You completely messed,” Harry added honestly. 

Gil looked away again, staring to the water for a moment. It was calm and silent, just like the rest of the peer. It was still early, even though the sun was already shining brightly from the sky. 

“I really tried to do the right thing,” Gil explained to Harry. “I thought if I could just convince my dad than everything would be fine. And if not than I would be the only one to get hurt. I really tried, you know.” Harry raised his eyebrows towards Gil. 

“Well, it was an utmost excellence strategy,” Harry said sarcastically. “You only forgot there are a few people who won’t allow it for you to get taken away.” 

Gil glanced over to Harry. Harry still had a confident smirk on his face. He didn’t seem frightened at all. 

“And we won’t allow it either if Mal wants to send you back to the Isle,” Harry continued. “She gets herself a war if she tries.” Harry noticed a little too late how his words actually had a bad impact on Gil. The thought of fighting against Jay once more terrified Gil. He didn’t think he was still able to do so. 

Harry silently cursed to himself. This is why he never did a pep talk, he was incredibly bad at it. He didn’t know what else to say and just stared into the water together with Gil for a moment. 

“Does it hurt a lot?” Gil suddenly broke the silence, making Harry look up again. 

“You mean my face? Barely feel a thing,” Harry lied to him. 

“And the others?” Gil asked. 

“Jonas has a serious cut in his arm that need stitches, but I believe they already took care of that,” Harry answered. “The others are all fine. The person with the worst injury is Gaston’s guy, who’s arm you broke. But he’ll be alright as well. He and his mate are tight up below deck.” 

Gil nodded. This news seemed to make him feel a little better. Harry looked over the many dark blue and red spots on Gil’s arms. Gil didn't come unscathed out of the fight himself, but Harry knew Gil probably didn't care about his own wounds. Harry decided to ignore this, as he patted Gil on the shoulder. 

“Just don’t waste too much of your time sitting here,” Harry said before he walked away again. Gil smiled a little when he watched Harry for a moment. It actually gave him a little solace to know the pirate crew wouldn’t get rid of him. He still had a place to go, even though Gil kept looking over to the peer, still wishing for any sign of Jay’s return. 

Another hour passed by, but finally some figures appeared on the horizon. Gil silently looked at them when he heard Bonny sounding the alarm from the crow’s nest. He thought he could recognize Jay in the group of people, but they still were too far away. 

“How many?” Harry yelled back to Bonny, as he made his way to the railing again. Uma also quickly appeared, her sword already in her hand. 

“Four,” Bonny answered from up high. 

Uma looked at the group of people, immediately recognizing Mal. “Prepare for battle!” she screamed, getting the sound of cheering pirates in return. Gil immediately send a shocked glance to Harry. 

“Just in case,” Harry answered his unspoken question. “If they plan any funny business, we tend to defend ourselves.” Gil jumped of the railing, immediately getting a sword pushed in his hand by Gonzo. 

“We’re going to try to talk to them first, right?” Gil asked to Uma. 

“Like Harry said; just in case,” Uma answered him. Gil had never been a real fighter, but Uma had never seen him so lost with a sword in his hand before. Gil still nodded, watching over the peer again. He fixed his eyes on Jay, who was slowly walking over to them. It seemed like he was staring right back at him. As if Jay had found him as well in the middle of the pirate crew.

“Remember, no more lies,” Uma said to Harry. “We show them the letter and tell them we didn’t intend to collaborate with Gaston. We thought about it, but we didn’t in the end. Alright?” 

Harry rolled his eyes. “It would surprise me if Mal actually listens to us.” 

“She can be stubborn, but I doubt she will be stupid enough to sign a war with us and Gaston.” 

Gil send a very quick look to Uma, listening to their conversation, before he had his eyes fixed on Jay again. It was getting very clear that Jay was looking right back at him. Gil wanted to go. He wanted to run right back to him and hold him again like he held him last night. Never let him go again.

The Core Four stood in front of the pirate ship. But none of them looked very eager to fight. Uma saw how Jay softly touched Mal’s arm and said something to her. Mal seemed to think about it for a moment before she nodded. Carlos patted him on his shoulder, sending him a reassuring smile. After that Jay made his way towards the pirate ship alone, leaving Mal, Evie and Carlos at some distance. 

“They’re sending Jay?” Harry questioned out loud. A deep frown appeared on Uma’s face, but she quickly turned towards Gil. He already looked at her with pleading eyes. 

“Go,” Uma simply said. 

Gil immediately dropped his sword on the deck and jumped over the railing, making his way towards Jay. 

“Never thought we would ever send Gil to negotiate for us,” Harry mumbled to himself. Uma smiled up to him. 

“Yea, it’s been crazy lately,” she said as she put her sword away and hung over the railing. There was nothing to worry about anymore. 

Gil ran over the wooden peer, meeting him half way. But he didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure how to start or what to do. He honestly just wanted to take him in his arms again, but Jay deliberately stopped at some fair distance from him. 

“I’m sorry it took so long,” Jay started the conversation. “It actually didn’t go unnoticed that a giant dragon flew through the bedroom window. So we had to explain the entire story to Ben and then to his parents and then again to some other dudes, calling themselves advisers or something.” Jay sighed, but at least showed a slight smile. “It’s still morning and it’s already been a long day.” 

“Not a problem,” Gil answered, wondering if he was allowed to take a step closer to Jay. He hated the space that was between them. 

“So,” Jay continued and his smile disappeared again. “I had to tell them about the conversation you had with your dad and just for your information, I heard everything.” 

“Everything?” Gil repeated him surprised. 

“Yea, I was hiding behind a tree the whole time,” Jay confessed to him. “So I told them what I heard. I told them that the pirates immediately resigned from teaming up with Gaston. I told them you made a mistake, but that you actually stood up for Ben and Belle. And how you didn’t hesitate to fight with us against your dad.” Gil frowned for a moment, unsure if he remembered it like that as well. 

“They believed me,” Jay quickly continued his story. “Well, the Beast wanted to send the entire pirate crew back to the Isle, but Belle stood up for you. She refused to believe you meant any harm. Somehow you made a very good impression on her.” Jay send him a charming smile again and it encouraged Gil to take a step towards him. 

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me last night?” Jay continued. His smile disappeared just a quick and Gil stopped immediately. 

“I didn’t want to involve you,” Gil answered him. “I knew you probably would get mad at me or you would try to stop me.” 

“Yea, I probably would,” Jay sighed, moving a bit forward himself. 

“I feel really bad that you got hurt,” Gil apologized to him. 

“I’ve got worst,” Jay shrugged it off. 

“Well yea, but this was my fault,” Gil said, moving a little closer to his boyfriend again. “I never wanted for you to get hurt.” 

“I know,” Jay immediately said. “I told you, I heard everything you said to your dad.” This time it was Jay who took a few steps closer to Gil, giving him that charming smile Gil was getting to know so well. “The best thing that has ever happened to you?” A slight blush appeared on Jay’s face again, just like when he heard those words when he was hiding behind the tree. “I don’t think anyone as ever said something like that about me before.” 

Gil walked up to him as well, until they were finally close enough to be able to touch each other again. Jay carefully touched Gil’s arm, noticing all the bruises he got from the fight as well. Probably when he was protecting him from Gaston. 

“And you’re right,” Jay said silently, slowly looking up to him again. “I’m not afraid of you.” Gil smiled brightly back at Jay, till a sudden thought made him frown again.

“So does this mean we’re not turning back into enemies?” Gil asked. He couldn’t shake this anxious feeling he still got from the entire situation.  
Jay chuckled, instantly easing Gil’s fear. “I told you, I don’t think I could ever hate you again. No matter what.” 

Gil didn’t hesitate anymore and quickly wrapped Jay in his arms. He felt how Jay immediately kept a tight grip on him as well, as if he wasn’t planning on ever letting him go again. Jay however slightly pushed Gil of him again, so he could look into those light brown eyes again. 

“We still have a lot to talk about,” Jay said. “You still have to explain yourself to king Ben and the rest of the castle.” 

“Yea, I figured that much,” Gil said frowning. The dissatisfying look in his eyes showed he wasn’t looking forward to it. It made Jay laugh out loud, making Gil chuckle with him in return. 

“Huh,” Mal said to Evie, when she slowly made his way over to the boys. “I guess you were right then. Gil and Jay did get pretty close the past few weeks.” 

Mal frowned as she saw how Gil let his forehead rest on Jay’s, making Jay smile up to him even more. Jay put one hand on Gil’s chest, as if he was searching for the other boy’s heartbeat. Mal’s mouth fell open from amazement when Jay moved in even closer and kissed Gil on his lips. 

“Evie!” 

Jay jumped away, startled by Mal’s sudden loud voice. He almost tripped over the edge of the peer, but he fortunately was able to grab Gil’s shirt and let himself fall in his arms again. 

“You never told me they got THAT close!” 

Jay sighed frustrated, but Gil took the opportunity to capture Jay in his arms again. 

“Seriously Mal?” Jay asked from his save spot in Gil’s arm. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.” 

“Look who’s talking,” Mal said in her defence. “Since when are you messing around with one of the pirates?” 

“Oh, come on Mal. It’s been obvious for days,” Evie came in between. 

“More like weeks,” Carlos mumbled to himself. Mal glanced over her two friends and then looked back to Jay who was still nestled in Gil’s arms. 

“How was I supposed to know? Nobody told me.” Mal continued to defend herself. 

“Well, for starters,” Evie said, already a huge smile on her face. “I know all of Jay’s clothes. That jacket he is wearing is not one of them.” Carlos eyes grew wide for a moment, but then he started to smile as well. 

Gil released Jay from his grip and kept him on an armlength. He stared at his own jacket for a moment, noticing once more how well it looked on Jay. 

“You’re still wearing it,” Gil said, giving Jay the brightest smile. 

“Well yea, I didn’t really have time to change clothes or anything,” Jay simply said. 

Harry heard the conversation as he and the rest of the pirate crew walked closer to the couple. He pointed at the jacket Jay was wearing, his eyes wide and serious. 

“Why exactly are you wearing his clothes?” Harry asked to Jay who already rolled his eyes. 

“My clothes fell in the water and got wet. Gil was kind enough to lend me his jacket, that’s all,” Jay explained to all of them. He knew Carlos and Evie were wondering the same thing from the stupid grins on their faces. 

“And you were still wearing your clothes while they fell, or not?” Harry continued asking. 

“You know, I don’t think it’s actually relevant to talk about that right now,” Jay simply answered him. 

“Well, I think it is. Tell me Jay, why weren’t you wearing your clothes?” 

“What? You want details now?” Jay asked, narrowing his eyes. He took a step towards Harry. The pirate tilled his head a little bit, sending an intimidating smirk in return. 

“Actually yes,” Harry answered, a threatening ring in his voice. 

“No, we don’t!” Uma quickly came in between. “Harry might, but the rest of us really doesn’t need to hear it.” Jay shrugged towards Harry, but then quickly turned towards Gil once more. 

Harry looked back at him and wished he could smack the self-righteous expression of Jay’s face. He however decided to remain quiet as he noticed the passionate smile Gil send towards Jay. 

“So are we cool?” Uma asked up to Mal. 

“Depends,” Mal answered her. “Are we invited on your little pirate ship?” 

Uma gave her a slight smile and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Why not,” she answered. “There is a lot more space on my ship than on this little peer of yours.” 

Mal smiled back at her. She followed Uma and leaded her group over the peer towards the Lost Revenge. The pirates jumped over the railing without hesitation and owned the deck again. Gil, being part of the crew, did so too. But he immediately turned around and reached his hand towards Jay, inviting him on board. Jay grab his hand firmly and jumped on deck of the Lost Revenge. Gil smiled brightly to him again. 

“Welcome to the pirates,” he said to Jay, making their foreheads slightly touch again. Jay closed his eyes and he could feel this euphoric feeling once more. 

“I’m very happy to be here,” he said. It wasn’t even a lie.

~~~~~

Harry looked with mixed feelings how Gil carefully stroke over Jay’s hand, while they softly talked to each other. He was definitely glad Jay didn’t leave Gil heartbroken, but he still had this nagging feeling that he couldn’t shake off. Harry secretly kept an eye on them, observing every movement they made and cursing every smile they send to each other. 

“You got to let him go,” Uma suddenly said beside him. He sighed frustrated, hating it how Uma could read his mind again.  
“I’ve no idea what you mean,” Harry lied to her. 

“Of course you don’t,” Uma said back to him as she walked closer to him. She softly touched his cheek, inspecting the swollen eye Harry got. 

“How are you feeling?” Uma asked with the affection she only showed to Harry and Gil. Harry could feel how his skin heated up underneath her touch. He turned towards her and laid his hand on her shoulder, pulling her in an embrace. 

“I’m doing alright,” he answered her. He indeed already felt better having her close to him. 

“I’ve been thinking about last night,” Uma said while she softly pushed herself away from him again. She wanted to see the expressions on his face, trying hard to understand. “I know something has been bugging you lately. I get the feeling you’re still heartbroken over Jay.”

“Heartbroken over Jay?” Harry’s voice sounded amused as he grinned towards Uma. “What gave you such a foolish impression?” Uma crossed her arms in front of her chest, not impressed by Harry’s crazy behaviour. 

“You’ve been acting weird lately,” Uma said straightforward. “And it clearly has something to do with Jay.” 

“Nothing to worry about here,” Harry answered smirking. “I might have been a little worried about Gil, with good reasons if I need to remind you. Jay is just very irritating.” 

“Than where have you been the entire night?” Uma asked him. “It’s not like you to just disappear.” 

“I actually got myself a new girlfriend,” Harry said and seemed pleased with himself. Uma went quiet for a moment and frowned upon him. She could feel a slight panic rising up in her chest. 

“Girlfriend?” she asked in disbelief. “Who?” 

“Audrey,” Harry answered her. 

“Audrey? Sleeping Beauty’s daughter?” Uma said, feeling even more disgusted than she was before. “You will forget her name within a week.” 

Harry secretly glanced over to her and was glad to see the displeasing look on her face. 

“You were with her last night?” Uma asked, staring at nothing in particular. 

“I was,” Harry answered. “So you see, I’m definitely not heartbroken over Jay.” Uma heard how Harry spit out the other boy’s name. She already shook her head, turning her back towards him. 

“Of course no,” she said, before she walked away from him. She couldn’t stand to be near him when he behaved like that. 

The smirk immediately vanished from his face. He wasn’t sure if he had hurt her or not. And if that was the case, Harry wasn’t really sure if he was happy with that or not. He stared back at the happy couple not so far away from him. They were laughing again and Harry cursed once more. He was never letting him go. Not to his dad, but neither to Jay. 

Gil carefully stroke over Jay’s hand again. 

“Does it still hurt?” He asked his boyfriend. 

“Just a little bit,” Jay confessed. “I didn’t think your dad had such a hard skull.” 

“My dad says it’s because of all the eggs he eats,” Gil answered him. “He says you need to eat five dozen eggs every day to make you strong.” 

A deep frown appeared on Jay’s face. “That does not sound right,” he said slowly, afraid to hurt Gil’s feelings if he showed too much disgust. 

“Well, you don’t need it,” Gil said back to him. “You hit my dad in the face and got away with it. That was the bravest thing I’ve ever seen.” Gil smiled proudly to Jay, making his hazel eyes sparkle. Jay slightly blushed again, looking away for a moment. 

“Well, you haven’t seen what I saw,” Jay said back to him. “I saw someone who stood up to his dad and wasn’t even scared to face the consequences.” Jay stared back into those eyes. He grabbed Gil’s hand and softly squeezed in it, ignoring the pain this caused. Jay send a bright smile to Gil again, squeezing in his hand once more. “That was the moment I realized I’m not letting you go.” 

Gil could feel his heart beat faster as he held Jay’s hand in his. He didn’t think he actually deserved to be praised, but he felt incredibly lucky to know Jay wasn’t mad at him. He was still there, being close to him and holding his hand, still wearing his leather jacket. 

“Besides, we have a lot to do,” Jay continued. “We still need to see those penguins.” 

Gil’s face immediately lit up. “And the icebergs!” he happily added. 

“And the jungle!” 

“And the desert!” 

Jay smiled back up at him, glad Gil had already added the desert to their little list. “But first we have to defeat your dad,” Jay said, a regretful smile on his face. 

“Yea, I would be surprised if he actually gave up,” Gil said apologetic to Jay. “You also still need to graduate first.” 

Jay chuckled again. “Yea, I’m really sorry about that too,” he said back to Gil. The two boys silently smiled to each other again.

“But first things first,” Jay said with a serious expression. “I need to find my phone back. I dropped it at the field when I came to your aid. After that I should probably grab my clothes at the lake. So, you know, I could finally give your jacket back to you.” 

Gil send him a meaningful look, a mix between guilt and pleasure. He knew Jay had lost both due to his fault, but he also figured Jay was messing with him again. 

“I could help you look for them,” Gil offered his help to Jay. A bright smile immediately appeared on Jay’s face. 

“Yea, you kinda owe me that,” Jay said laughing. 

Gil held Jay’s hand even tighter, smiling brightly when he did so. He knew they were still in for a lot of hardship as long as the shadows of his dad and his twin brothers were lurking in the background. Knowing his family they wouldn’t be hiding for long. Gil looked out over the Lost Revenge, seeing how the Core Four interacted with the pirate crew, while he still sat close to Jay. Gil slowly started to realize he didn’t have to fight his dad on his own anymore and he started to believe that it would all be alright as long as they would stand tall together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the last chapter of the first story.  
> Next week I’ll start with the first chapter of the follow up story, which will be called New World Divided.


End file.
